A home away from home
by dreambig123
Summary: Bella's and Jake's relationship has been complicated lately.When Bella finds out she's pregnant, she hopes it will bring them closer together. But a miscarriage causes Bella to take a vacation where she meets the Cullens. Can she find happiness?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here's my new story! Please read and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, SM does.**

BPOV June 24th

Laying on the uncomfortable plastic bed of the hospital, I stared at the wooden door as I waited for my doctor to arrive. Jake was sitting in a chair besides me with his head in his hands. His tanned hands were tangled in his black hair. Some may ask, why were we in a hospital? Well, I'm not so sure myself. A little over two weeks ago, I found out I was pregnant. To say I was shocked was an understatement.

I, Bella Swan, am pregnant with Jacob Black's baby. I'm a twenty-four year old who lives in New York City with a job as a journalist. Now, I'm also going to be a mother. The thought of it sent my head spinning. I shut my eyes as I took deep breaths in and out. I repeated the process as I thought back to when I found out I was first pregnant.

_Flashback. June 9th_

My alarm clock continuously beeped in an effort to wake me up. Groaning, I flipped over in my bed and whacked the stupid object. Immediately after my action, I heard a peaceful silence. I grinned to myself and slowly brought my body to an upright position. Stretching, I looked at the empty spot next to me in the king sized bed. Jake _should _have been sleeping there. After all, we did share an apartment. Frowning, I recalled last night's events.

We had another argument. Lately, Jake and I have been getting into countless fights over our work, our priorities, as well as some small things like who cleans the apartment.

The past three weeks have brought nothing but stress and complications to the once simple life that I have.

Sighing, I got up from the safe environment of my bed and headed towards the kitchen. Jake was stirring on the couch, meaning he should be getting up any minute now.

Checking the time, I saw that it was 6:30 in the morning. That left me with an hour and a half before I had to get to work. I poured myself a cup of coffee and started to take a sip. My mind was already composing a list of all the things I had to do today. Just to make sure I didn't forget anything, I looked at the calendar that hung on the wall. I read each thing that needed to be completed by today and then headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

Jake was stretching on the couch as I passed him. He looked at me for a second before turning back around without so much as a smile. I scowled to myself as I thought about how our relationship was taking a turn for the worse.

Turning on the hot water of the shower, I climbed in. As I showered, I felt my tense muscles become more relaxed as I took this time to sort through my thoughts.

Once I was done, I climbed out and headed towards the cabinet. Reaching for a towel on the top shelf, I tugged the fabric down. My quick action caused me to stumble back as a small box hit the floor. I tried to gain my balance as I wrapped the towel around me and reached down to pick up the box. Once I could read the title, I immediately realized what they were. They were my box of tampons.

I picked the box up and placed it back into the cabinet as a thought struck me.

I haven't had my period yet this month.

Scrambling, I held the towel tight to my body as I rushed out of the bathroom and back to the calendar.

Today was June ninth.

I usually had my period around the very beginning of the month. Granted, it came a few days early or late, but it was always there. Now, I looked at the calendar and realized that my period was either very late, or I had missed it completely.

I debated how this could happen for a few moments before I came to a conclusion: the stress from work and Jake had caused me to miss my period. Jake brought me out of my thought.

"I don't think they would let you wear that to work." He looked smug as he took a sip of his coffee.

I glared at him and walked into the bedroom where I changed into my work clothes. The thoughts I had before were dismissed from my mind, for now, as I got ready for the day.

An hour later and I was leaving for work.

"Bye Jake." I called as I walked towards the door. The aftermath of the fight from last night was not completely gone and I added on to what I was saying to Jake. "We'll talk about last night when we get home." And with that, I headed to work.

-----

Arriving at the newspaper office was not a highlight of my day. In fact, it was definitely the worst part. It's not that I had horrible coworkers or anything like that, it was just the fact that it was my job. And as a realistic person, the word job made the task of being a journalist much less appealing. Because honestly, if the task was fun, then it would be called that and not a duty.

My boss, Angela, was probably the nicest boss that I've ever worked for. She was laid back and became a good friend of mine. I talked to her when I had problems, and she did the same to me. However, when it came to managing the newspaper, she could be strict when she wanted to be. She kept every person in this office on task and focused.

"Morning Angela." I smiled at her while I walked by.

"Hey, Bella. How's life treating you today?"

"Just about the same as it has been the last few weeks." I frowned and she immediately knew what I was talking about. I had told her about the fights that had been occurring between Jake and I. She knew that we were dealing with some problems and gave a slight nod of her head.

I walked into my work space and sat down. My mind was still on the topic of Jake and I tried to think back to the last time when we weren't fighting. It had been at least a month ago--

My eyes widened as realization dawned on me. About a month ago, Jake took me to a fancy restaurant on a date. It was a night that demonstrated our love towards each other because afterward we went back to the apartment and got…carried away. That was one of the last moments when our relationship was normal. But after a week, something just switched and we were bickering back and forth. It was a sudden turn of events that threw both of us for a loop. We haven't even spent a lot of time together any more. Usually, we just spend all our time at work and then go home to eat over a silent-- and slightly awkward-- dinner. Then, we would do it all over again the next day.

As I thought more about that night that felt so long ago, I connected it with my missing period. I shook my head as I tried not to believe it. I let my head fall to the table and I tried to think clearly.

In the end, I decided that I would go to the store during my lunch break to buy some tests and would then see if my theory was true.

For the next four hours, I tried to keep my mind occupied with work.

When my lunch break finally came, I bolted out of my seat and grabbed my purse. Heading towards Angela, I told her I was taking my lunch.

"I'm going to take my lunch break. I'll be back in an hour." I said in a rush as I bounced up and down waiting for her answer.

"Okay, is everything all right? You look kind of nervous."

I shook my head frantically in a 'yes' manner and ran towards the elevator. Our office was on the fifteenth floor so I paced back and forth as I ran my hand through my brown hair. When the elevator dinged, I jogged out of building and walked to the closest store I could find.

I spent the next half hour looking for pregnancy tests. When I finally found three different brands, I made my way back to my office building and headed straight to the bathrooms. Following the instructions, I took each one and waited in excruciating silence as I waited for the answers. I silently hoped that the tests would tell me negative. Unfortunately, my prayers went unanswered. Each test held a positive sign and confirmed my worst nightmare. I was pregnant.

I sank to the floor and sobbed into my hands for a good fifteen minutes before I decided that it was time to head back to my workspace.

I stood up from where I was sitting and turned to look in the mirror. Standing before me was a reflection of me with red puffy eyes and my hair in disarray from my hands combing through them in my frustration. I fixed myself to the best of my ability before walking back out and into the office. Angela immediately spotted me and walked over to me.

"Are you okay?" Concern was laced in her voice and I tried to give a small smile. She saw right through my little act and escorted me to her office. She shut the door behind her and gave me a chair to sit in.

"Tell me all about it." Because of those five words, I broke down and retold her my story.

I finished it with two words, "I'm pregnant."

Angela's eyes were wide in shock and she rushed to my side as she tried to calm me down.

"Oh, Bella! You've been through so much today. Maybe you should just go home and relax. Today isn't really busy anyways."

Grateful for her offer, I gave her a weak smile and began to stand up.

"Thank you," I whispered. I gathered my things and headed home.

-------------

For the rest of that day, I contemplated on how I would tell Jake. I didn't come up with a very good solution, so I ended up going to the store and bought the ingredients to his favorite meal. I cooked for the rest of the day and waited until Jake came home at five-thirty.

When he walked in, he didn't notice the dinner on the table at first. Instead, he shrugged out of his coat and made his way to the fridge where he took out a beer.

"Hey, Jake. I made dinner." I wrung my hands nervously as I watched him turn around. He noticed it was his favorite dinner and his eyebrows rose in suspicion.

"Why did you make pork chops? You know they're my favorite but I can't think of any certain reason why you made them. I know for a fact today isn't a special occasion." He glanced at me wearily.

I let out a frustrated sigh and began to answer. "Can't a girl ever make her boyfriend a nice dinner without having a reason? It's called being nice, Jake. Something you wouldn't know of." My patience was thinning, as it did every time I was around him as of recently, and I was starting to sense another fight coming on.

"Calm down, I was just saying." He said with his hands in surrender.

I narrowed my eyes. "Let's just eat. Okay?" I plopped down in a chair and began to shove food into my mouth. He did the same and we ate in silence once again.

After a while, I decided to break the silence.

"Jake, we need to talk." He lifted his hand as I looked straight into his brown eyes.

He sat his fork down and folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah. I think we do too."

"Well, I know we had our rough spots these last few weeks…" He snorted and I gave him a pointed glare.

"I know what you mean, and I want this fighting to end." Jake said. I waited for him to continue, but he didn't. So, I just said the first thing that came to my mind.

"Jake, I'm pregnant." The words spilled out of my mouth before I even had a chance to think about the consequences. Jake sat there frozen. I took this chance to continue, "I'm not asking you to marry me because you and I both know that we wouldn't be able to handle that. Instead I'm asking you to just be there for me to help with the baby. I don't want my child to be raised like I was. My mother walked out on my dad when I was little. She took me with her and I grew up without a father. I don't want my baby to feel the loneliness that I felt." I placed my head in my hands and whispered, "I didn't expect this to happen. I'll be a mother at the age of twenty-four! I just never saw this coming."

I felt hands wrap around me. "It will be okay Bells. I know we had our fights, but I'm willing to be in this baby's life. After all, it takes two to _tango_." I looked up at him and smiled.

"Thanks, Jake." The rest of the night, we talked about our future. He would always be there right by my side through the whole thing. Somehow, this baby growing inside of me brought Jake and I to agree on some level. Maybe the baby would bring us closer together and fix our relationship. Who knows. All I know is that Jake and I will be together for the baby's benefit.

--_End Flashback--_

A quick nudge to my shoulder brought me back to reality. I was back in the hospital room with Jake. A female doctor had entered and looked at me with a smile. Her dark brown hair was gathered in a ponytail as she came to stand next to me.

"Hello, Bella. I'm Doctor Stanley. You ready for the ultrasound?" I nodded my head and closed my eyes. "This may feel cold, but don't worry."

I squeaked out an okay before I felt the cold gel on my skin. The doctor pressed a device onto my stomach.

"Okay, let's see if we can find this baby." I opened my eyes and looked at the TV screen. Jake was squeezing my hand as we continued to look at the screen. The doctor moved the device around my stomach before giving up and excusing herself out of the room.

I gave Jake a confused look and he just shrugged his shoulders. The doctor came back in a few minutes later. This time, another older doctor came in and repeated the same thing they had done just minutes before. He was an older man with wrinkles on his forehead and bags under his eyes.

The doctor sighed and looked at me with sadness etched in his features.

"What's wrong?" I said, worry laced in my voice.

The eyebrows of the older doctor knitted together.

"I'm afraid there isn't anything living inside of you." I frowned as I tried to grasp what he was saying.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry. But you had a miscarriage; you're no longer pregnant."

Those few words brought my world crumbling down.

**A/N: So this is my new story! Hope you liked it. My other story--Lies, Truths, and Getting Hurt-- will still be updated regularly. So no worries. Reviews make me smile and make me want to update. **

**Love, **

**Kristi**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks goes out to CT Twilight Fan and SIMONBAKERFANATIC. Thanks for being the first reviewers!!!! It took a while to write but it's done. Here's the next chapter…**

**I do not own Twilight, SM does.**

BPOV

"I'm sorry. But you had a miscarriage; you're no longer pregnant. It's a very sad event, but these things do happen."

My heart stopped as those words left his mouth.

Jake was now standing next to me as he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"So what do we do now?" I could feel the tears gathering at the brim of my eyes.

"Well… you could always try for another baby. That is, if you would want to try again." This time, Doctor Stanley spoke in a soft tone. She handed me a towel so I could wipe the gel off. I gratefully took it.

When I was done, I wiped the tears from my eyes. Looking at Jake, I could see that he was on the verge of crying. Cautiously, I raised my hand to grab his . I gave his hand a soft squeeze and began to stand up from the bed.

I was to stunned to say anything. Luckily, I didn't have to. Jake stepped in for me. "Well, thank you for everything. We'll just be on our way."

I leaned into Jake's side as we walked out of the building and back to the car.

"Do you want to stay home today? Or do you want to go to work?" Jake asked.

"Take me back home." I said with barely any emotion in my voice. I hugged my knees into my chest as I watched the buildings pass by.

"Everything will be okay, don't you worry. We'll work this through." Jake said as he glanced at me. I nodded my head in acknowledgement. I sure hoped so.

-----

When we arrived at our apartment, I called my work to tell them I was sick. Then, I quickly made my way to the bathroom. I pushed open the door as I made my way to the mirror above the sink. The person staring back at me looked like a mess.

My puffy red eyes were rimmed with my mascara that had gotten ruined while I was crying. My hair was no better. It was no longer in a perfect ponytail. Instead, tiny pieces of hair stuck up around my face. I looked horrible.

My mind was racing with thoughts and I decided to take a shower to calm myself down.

When I was done, I let out a sigh and climbed out. Wrapping a towel around my body, I looked back in the mirror. Although my thoughts were still a mess, I at least felt a little bit better. I combed through my hair before putting it into a high pony tail. I walked into my room and rummaged through the drawers of my dresser. When I found a pair of sweats and an old T-shirt, I quickly put them on before walking out to find Jake.

He was sitting on the couch watching the sports channel. Although his eyes were looking towards the TV, I could tell his mind was else where.

"Hey, I'm going to take a nap. Are you okay?" I said in a soft tone. Jake turned towards me and gave me a soft nod.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I nodded and headed back into the bedroom. Once I had shut the door behind me, I collapsed onto the bed. The tears had found their way back into my eyes. I silently cried myself to sleep.

-----

For the rest of the week, I called in sick as I stayed at the apartment planning what to do next. We decided that I was going to move back in with my mom. And today was the day I was moving out.

--Flashback--

It was the third day I had stayed home from work. I just couldn't go back to work yet. As I entered the kitchen, I saw Jake sitting at the table.

"Hey." I said as I grabbed a box of cereal.

"Hey, how are you?" Jake responded as he took a sip of his coffee. Ever since that day at the doctor's, things had become awkward between us.

"Good." Silence followed before I decided to speak.

"I think I'm going to move back in with my mom." I blurted out. My checks reddened from what I had said.

Jake looked surprised. "Bella, you don't have to. You can stay here."

"No, it's fine. I decided that I need a change of my surroundings. She only lives an hour from work so I'll still be able to get to work from there. And besides, it's only until I can afford my own apartment. This was your place to live in the first place and I don't think that our relationship is going to work. I know we would stick together for the baby, but now… we don't need to. We no longer have a baby in our future." It was the first time I had talked about the baby since that day.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Jake asked.

"Positive. Jake, I'll always love you, but as a friend. Do you think we can go back to being just friends?"

Jake gave me a genuine smile, "of course."

Later that night, I called to give my mom the details. I told her everything from the false alarm with the pregnancy, to Jake and I splitting up.

--end flashback--

I had gathered all of my belongings and placed them into my car. With everything packed, I only had one thing left to do: say goodbye to Jake. I walked over to him with my head down and my hands in my pockets.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later?" I said.

"Is that anyway to say goodbye to your friend?" He grabbed me and pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my hands around him and hugged him with all my strength. "I'll miss you. You know that right?" Jake whispered into my ear. I nodded and took a step back.

"I'll still see you around. Okay?" I said as I wiped the tears from my eyes. Lately, I always find myself crying. You would think that I would have run out of tears by now. But I guess not.

"Yeah, don't be a stranger. I love you Bells."

"Love you to, Jake." I said as I got into my car and began to drive away.

There wasn't too much traffic as I made my way to my mom's house. The whole drive there I just sat in silence as I figured out my thoughts.

When I finally arrived, I saw two figures on my mom's porch. I pulled up and parked before making my way towards her. Renee ran towards me with her arms spread open as she ran towards me.

"My baby! I haven't seen you in forever!" She squeezed me tight and I returned the hug.

"Hey mom. I know, works been hectic, and with everything going on…" I trailed off. Renee immediately understood and pulled back from the hug.

"We'll talk about that later. For now, let's just enjoy the moment." I nodded and took in my mom. Her brown hair was shorter than I remembered, but she looked healthy and young for what her age was.

"Oh! Let me introduce you to someone." Her face lit up as she pulled me up the walkway and onto the porch.

"Bella, this is Phil. My boyfriend. Phil, this is my baby, Bella."

I knew that my mom wouldn't be single forever, but I didn't know she had a boyfriend. I was stunned.

"Hello, Bella. I've heard a lot about you." Phil stuck out his hand and I timidly shook it.

"Nice to meet you too, Phil."

"Well, let's get your bags and go inside!" Renee clapped her hands before dragging me inside and telling Phil to go retrieve my bags. When I knew Phil was out of ear shot, I decided to get some answers out of my mom.

"So, Phil seems like a nice guy." I said.

"He is. He's so sweet!" Her eyes sparkled as she spoke about him.

"How long have you been going out?" I was curious to see how long she had hid this from me.

"About five months. It's been great. He's actually moved in with me."

"That's a long time. And I'm just hearing about this now?" Curiously, I looked at her. He's moved in?! She looked me in the eye.

"Well, we all had our little secrets. Didn't we?" She raised an eyebrow at me and I dropped it. I decided to ask one more question.

"Are you happy?"

"Of course I am." She said while giving me a smile.

Phil came in with my bags and I spent the rest of the weekend adjusting to my new home. I got to know Phil a little bit better and I caught up with my mom on what was going on.

When Monday morning came around, I decided that it was time to go back to work.

------

I walked into the familiar building that I haven's seen for at least a week. But it felt like so much time has passed since I have last been in here. So many changes have happened from then to now.

I was a little nervous to see Angela. She knew that I had my ultrasound the day that I first called in sick. So it was no surprise that I was hesitant to enter our department.

I had successfully avoided Angela so far as I made my way to my desk. But, just before the last few feet to my desk, I heard her voice calling my name.

"Bella! I haven't seen you in forever!" She was walking towards me. Me, being the shy person I am, turned my head to look at the floor as a blush spread across my face. I never liked being the center of attention. And having my name called across a room certainly brought attention to me.

"Hey, Angela. It definitely has been a while."

Angela was now standing in front of me as she gave me a light hug. "How have you been? You called in sick for four days. It must have been some illness to keep you from work that long."

"I've been…" I tried to search for the right word. "I've been better. Things have been hectic."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Angela asked.

"Sure." I could always count on Angela to help me with the problems in my life. She steered me towards her office.

As she shut the door to her office, I could feel her eyes on me. I turned towards her and gave a pathetic smile.

"So… what have you really been up to? I know for sure that a sickness doesn't keep you at home! Hell, you come in even with a cast on your arm when you can barely type!"

"That was one time! I had an article due! Just because my arm was broken, I had to get it done." I placed my arms across my chest to defend myself.

"My point exactly. A silly illness wouldn't keep you home! So what really happened? Didn't you have your ultrasound Tuesday? How did that go?"

"Well, it definitely changed my life."

"And that means…" Angela said as she sat down in the chair behind her desk. I took a seat in the one on front of it.

"It means, I'm no longer pregnant." I tried to say it with no emotion in my voice. However, my mask was slipping. I tried so hard not to cry, but I couldn't stop it. Tears began to roll down my cheeks. I thought I would be done crying, but every time I thought of my miscarriage, I would always find more tears staining my cheeks. I buried my head in my hands to hide my face.

"What do you mean, you're not pregnant?" I glanced through my fingers to see she was giving me a confused look.

"I had a miscarriage. And even though I was shocked at the beginning, I was kind of getting excited to have a baby." As I said the words, the true reality of the situation came crashing down on me. I sobbed even harder as I gasped for breath.

Angela gasped in shock. We sat there in silence until Angela's voice came out in soft whispers. I tried to slow my sobs so I could hear what she was saying.

"You know how Ben and I have been married for seven years but we don't have children?" Her eyes met mine as I gave a slight nod.

"Well, it's not that we don't want children. Because we both do! I've always seen a child in my future with Ben. It's just that, I also had a miscarriage." The words shocked me and I quickly stood up to give Angela a hug.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I never knew that!" She gave me a small smile.

"I'm not telling you this so you will feel bad for me. In fact, I'm telling you this because I know what you are going through. The shock, the sadness, everything. I just want you to know that I've been through this before, but it does get better. Trust me." Tears now filled both of our eyes as we silently sobbed for what had happened to us both.

"I know it will get better. That's why I moved out of the apartment with Jake. Without the baby, I just don't think our relationship would have worked out. So I moved back in with my mom." I said as I looked her in the eye.

"That's great! I knew how tough it was with Jake, I just hope you can find happiness." Angela said as a smile appeared on her lips.

"That's easier said then done. Apparently my mom has a new boyfriend who's also living there. They've been going out for five months and I just found out. It's not that I don't want a dad, because I do. I just barely know him and it's…weird."

"Yeah, I understand." There was a pause before Angela jumped up in her seat. "Do you know what you need?" I shook my head. "You need to take a vacation!"

The idea surprised me.

"But, I can't leave my job!" I said as the more realistic side of me kicked in.

"So what? You were going to take a break when you had the baby anyways. Why can't you just take a vacation? Besides, it will be short, only a month at tops. It will be a nice way to just get away from everything and take a break."

"But, I don't have any money."

Angela snapped her fingers. "You barely need any money."

"I'm confused."

"What if all you need to pay for is the airplane tickets?"

"I'd say maybe. But I moved in with my mom to get away from the whole thing, why do I need a vacation?"

"To get away from your mom and her boyfriend. You've had to go through a lot this week, maybe you just need a break."

"I guess… but I can't just leave."

"Sometimes, you just need to do things for yourself. It's only a month tops. If you want, I can send you your work and you can do your assignments from there. It's like working at home, but a vacation at the same time. Do it for yourself?"

I contemplated the idea. A vacation did sound nice. "Fine. So what did you mean by saying all that I had to pay for was the airplane ticket?"

"Me and Ben own this cottage down in Georgia. We try to rent it to others, but since it isn't exactly summer yet, we didn't have any takers. So, the cottage will be all yours. It's down in Lake Hartwell. The cottage has more than enough room for you and has a beautiful view of the lake. Although, the cottage itself is a little hard to find. But that can be fixed with writing down directions. What do you say?"

"When do I leave?" I laughed.

"That's the spirit! Now, you can leave in a week. That way, you can book your flight, and get everything ready. You can still spend time with your mom for a little longer, but you should be out of here for at most a month."

"Sounds good." My spur of the moment decision made me smile. I used to always plan and make sure everything was perfect. But maybe this decision was the best one I ever made. I was actually looking forward to this trip.

**A/N: Next chapter she leaves for her vacation. And guess who she'll meet!!!!!!**

**Review please!**

**Love, **

**Kristi**


	3. Chapter 3

BPOV

The rest of the work day passed by in a blur.

My mind was already looking forward to my mini vacation. However, I still had to pass it by my mom. She wouldn't approve at first, but hopefully she could see my logic.

It was dinner time now, which meant I had to break the news to her.

"So, how was work today, Bella?" Phil asked while scooping mashed potatoes onto his plate.

It was now or never.

"It was interesting. I actually have something really important to tell you guys." I set down my fork and folded my hands across the table. Looking directly into my mother's eyes, I said, "I decided to take a vacation."

"What do you mean 'vacation.' Like a few more days off work? Because you just took one." My mother said in a skeptical voice.

"No, I mean an actual vacation. My boss has a cabin down in Georgia. She's going to let me borrow it. I'm leaving Monday."

"But, I just got you back. You're already leaving?" My mother whispered as tears began to form in her eyes.

"I'm not leaving forever, mom. It will be a month at the most. I just need time to get away from everything. Besides, you have Phil. I didn't mean to intrude in the first place." I desperately tried to get my mom to understand. I needed her to understand. All my life, she was my support. I counted on her to support my decisions no matter what they were. Her approval meant everything to me.

"What about work?" This time, it was Phil who spoke. He had shifted his chair closer to my mother to put an arm around her shoulder for comfort. I smiled inwardly as I looked at the two of them interacting with each other.

"I'll still be working, my boss can send me my work on the laptop. I promise that after I take this vacation, I'll go back to my normal self. I can put the past behind me and move on…. But I just need this time now to reflect. I need to work things out on my own terms. The loss of my baby turned my world upside down, and I need to right it." I choked out the words as my eyes began to water.

"We didn't mean to upset you. Of course you need time on your own. But what about expenses?" My mom had reached across the table to place a comforting hand on top of mine.

"I'm using my boss' cabin. They're letting me stay there for free and all I have to do is pay for my airplane ticket."

"Well, it sounds as though you have everything planned. When are you leaving?"

"Monday, I just need to book my flight."

"Well, let's try to enjoy the time we have together then."

I nodded my head as the conversation was switched onto a different topic.

---------------

The rest of the week was spent packing, planning, and bonding with Phil and Renee.

Monday was finally here as I was saying my goodbye's to Phil, Renee, and Angela.

I gave my mom a hug as she started to cry on my shoulder. "Now, don't be a stranger. Call me whenever you can. Be careful. I want my baby back soon."

"I will be careful. You take care of yourself." I whispered into her ear. Backing away, I nodded towards Phil and gave him a handshake.

"Take care of my mom. She's in your hands now."

Phil responded with a nod of his head.

Last was Angela. She stood quietly off to the side. I walked towards her and embraced her into a hug.

"Thank you for everything. It means a lot to me." I said.

"It was no problem. Call me when you get there and tell us how the cabin is holding up. I want all the details so call or email whenever you want."

"Okay, I will. Thanks again." I backed away from her. With one final wave of my hand, I walked to my gate and waited.

-------

The plane ride was altogether boring. I mainly slept away the hours. But I finally arrived at the airport in Atlanta, Georgia at eleven in the morning.

Claiming my baggage, I made my way to the rental cars. I gave them my information and they sent me over to my silver Audi. It was a fancy car, but I figured it would be worth it.

Once I was on the road, I followed the directions Angela gave me. The scenery was mainly green. Green vines and plants were everywhere-- on the trees, on the ground, even on telephone poles.

Eventually, after many wrong turns and a call to Angela, I made it to the cabin. The drive way was steep as it led to a quaint little house.

Stepping out of the car, I marveled at the sight before my eyes. The sun was beating down as it warmed the temperature. Behind the trees, I could see water. Excitedly, I made my way down towards the lake. Even the path to the lake was steep. There were no stairs so I took cautious steps as the water grew closer and closer.

When I finally made it to the dock, the sight in front of me was amazing. The sun was shining bright in the sky as it lit up the blue water. A few boats were out on the lake and even a few people were swimming off in the distance. Overall, it was a beautiful place.

Let the vacation begin.

**A/N: We're finally at the cabin. Next chapter, we meet the Cullen's. **

**Review.**

**--Kristi**


	4. Chapter 4

BPOV

Climbing my way back up the hill, I dug they key out of my pocket. Reaching the top, I worked my way over to the car where I gathered my luggage.

Once inside, I gasped at the sight before me. The cabin was decked out in wood-- wooden furniture(with cushions on it of course), dark wooden walls, and wood flooring. It didn't look bad; in fact, it looked gorgeous. Pictures hung along the walls as I stepped further into my temporary home. On my right was a living room with the basic TV and furniture. Glass sliding doors led to the outside porch where a grill and table were placed. To the left of me, a completed kitchen was built. I made my way over to it where I noticed three more doors. One door led to the master bedroom. A king sized bed was placed in the corner of a room with a seashell covered comforter on it. Across from it, a small flat screen television was placed in the middle of the wall. The rest of the bedroom contained a dresser, bed stand, and a lamp. I eagerly moved onto the next room. It was a smaller guest bedroom that held the same furniture as the master bedroom minus the TV. The third door was a bathroom. It's not hard to guess what was in there.

As I walked back out, I walked past the kitchen into the living room area.

Dropping my luggage off in the master bedroom, I made my way over to the kitchen. I hadn't eaten since noon; it was already five in the afternoon. Opening a cabinet, there were a few cans of food. Hesitantly, I took one out and looked at the label.

Canned fruit. Great.

"First one down there is a rotten egg!" A deep voice yelled from outside causing me to jump in shock.

The can rolled out of my hand as it dropped right onto my exposed toes. I yelped in shock as I sank to the floor holding onto my foot. I cursed gravity as I prayed for my toe not to be broken. The pain began to cease as I tried to get my heart rate to lower. Slowly, I stood up and hobbled my way over to the glass door leading to the porch. I looked out to see a man running towards the lake in his swim trunks. I couldn't see his definite features, but I could tell that he was muscular. He continued to run down the hill, not at all worried that he might completely trip and fall on the hard cement, until he catapulted off the dock and into the lake.

A huge splash followed after him and I tried to hold in a laugh. So maybe I wouldn't be completely alone on this vacation. But at least it would entertain me. Shaking my head, I made my way back to the cabinets. I shifted through the cupboards and refrigerator to find very little of edible food. I sighed as I sat on the couch; I needed to find a store.

Instantly, an idea came into my mind. I raced to the door as I slipped on my flip flops. Trying not to fall, I sprinted my way down the hill. I looked over to where I saw the man who had dove into the lake. Instead of just him, there were four other people near him also. From what I could tell, the huge man was now wrestling a blonde guy in the water as a third bronze haired man laughed from the dock. Two girls were floating on rafts as they read their magazines.

Shyly, I began to make my way towards them.

"Excuse me." I tried to make my voice loud enough to be heard over their laughter. I tried again. "Excuse me!" I said, but no one heard me. I grew closer and was just about to try again when I felt myself starting to fall backwards. I yelped out in surprise as I landed on my butt.

I looked over towards the people in the lake. I finally got their attention. The bronze haired man started to run towards me as the others quickly followed suit.

My face began to redden as I tried to get up. My butt was sore and it probably had leaves clinging to it. Standing up, I wiped off as much dirt as I could.

"Hey, are you okay?" The bronze haired man now stood in front of me as he propped his hands on his knees gasping for air. His vibrant green eyes looked into my dull brown as I tried to find the breath to answer him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm used to it." I could feel my blush growing deeper as I put my head down and shielded my face with my brown hair.

"What do you mean?" I looked up to see a crooked smile that could melt any girls heart.

I gave him a questioning glance.

"You said you were used to it?" My face filled with understanding.

"Well, you just happen to be looking at the number one klutz of America. You should feel honored." I gave a small smile as he laughed.

"I'm sure you're not that big of a klutz. You fell once, big deal. These leaves are slippery." Before I had the chance to tell him I was serious, four other people showed up behind him.

"What in the world happened over here?" A young woman with short black hair asked. She reminded me of a pixie. Next to her, the blonde man had appeared next to her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

Nervously, I began to explain my story. "Well, I'm afraid I've never been here before and I don't quite know the roads around here. I arrived today and was trying to find something to eat, but I had nothing. So then I hear a loud voice--" I gestured to where the muscular brown haired man stood holding a gorgeous blonde next to him. "So I came down here to ask you guys if there's any stores close by but then I obviously fell and here we are." I finished my rant before I realized I forgot to introduce myself.

"I'm Isabella by the way, but most people just call me Bella."

"Well, Bella. I'm Alice, and this man here is my husband, Jasper." The woman with the black hair stated. She wriggled out of Jasper's arms as she came forward and gave me a hug. "I just know we'll get along great! Welcome to Lake Hartwell." I smiled at her enthusiasm as she stepped back.

The bronze man spoke next. "I'm Edward." He held out his hand for me to shake. Hesitantly, I grabbed his hand. An electrical spark hit me as soon as I had touched Edward. The spark didn't hurt, it was just surprising.

He must have felt it to because he quickly retreated his hand from my grasp. Trying not to show my disappointment, I quickly turned to the other couple.

"I'm Rosalie and this is my goofball of a husband, Emmett. Most people call me Rose." She smiled as she looked up at the huge figure. "He looks intimidating but he's really just a big teddy bear." She patted his stomach as she gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Awww, Rose! You totally ruined my cover. Now instead of being afraid, she'll think of me as a softie! That totally crushes a mans ego." The girl named Rose whispered something in his ear that made him smile and nod. After a minute, he finally stuck out his hand, "I'm Emmett. But you can call me Em."

I shook it as I tried to stand up straighter. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Do you think you can help me with my situation?"

"We would love to tell you where the store is but I'm afraid it's over an hour away and hard to find." Alice said as a thoughtful look came over her features.

"Oh, well sorry for bothering you." Now what was I going to do?

"Wait! You should come over for dinner. I'm sure Esme and Carlisle wouldn't mind. We would love to have company over for once. It gives us an excuse to act like a normal family." Alice looked at me with pleading eyes. How could I say no?

"Well, if you don't mind having an extra person…" My voice held a hint of uncertainty.

"Of course we don't silly! Come over at six, if you walk on the road, we're the first house on your right."

"Okay, I'll see you then." We exchanged goodbyes as I turned to walk away.

"Bella?" I heard a velvet voice say. I turned to face Edward.

"Are you sure you're okay? Nothing hurts or anything?" He gave me a worried glance.

"I'm fine, Edward. Really. Thanks for asking." I gave him a small smile before I turned and walked away.

I could still feel the tingle the contact of his hand left on my skin. I shouldn't be feeling these things after all that has happened. It was way to soon. But what if I couldn't help but feel a small attraction to Edward?

--------

A half an hour later, I was walking down their driveway. The house was unlike mine. There was two levels visible from the front view. The lower half was made out of glass walls and the upper half used a light colored wood. It was a gorgeous house that was hidden by the tall pine trees.

Walking up to the front door, I rang the doorbell. A second later, a woman who I guessed was their mother answered the door. She had long brown hair and could pass as thirty.

"Hello, you have a lovely home. I'm Bella."

"Welcome, Bella. I'm Esme. My children haven't stopped talking about you since they came home an hour ago." Blushing, I stepped into the huge house.

"I hope you don't mind me coming over like this on such short notice."

"Of course not! Now the children are in the living room. Just walk straight and you'll find them. Tell them dinner will be ready in ten minutes."

I nodded as I took off my shoes and searched for any familiar faces. I could hear some voices that I recognized from earlier as the sounds floated down the hall. Just as I was about to follow the sound, a man walked into the room.

He looked up in surprise. His blue eyes stood out against his pale skin and dirty blonde hair. "Hello, you must be Bella."

"Yes, I'm so sorry to intrude on your house like this."

"It's perfectly fine. I'm more worried about you."

I gave him a questioning look. "Why me?"

"I'm afraid my family isn't exactly…normal. You might never want to come back." Smiling, he laughed.

I let out a small laugh. "Alice said a similar thing earlier."

"Well she was telling you the truth."

We both laughed before we were interrupted.

"Hey Bella! I'm so glad you didn't ditch. I thought we had already scared you away!" Alice's tiny form came bounding through the door as she grabbed me into a hug.

"Hey Alice. It's going to take a lot more effort than earlier to drive me away. You guys might be my only connection to surviving the next few weeks." Alice giggled before the rest of the group came through the door. Edward's eyes instantly connected with mine. I gave him a small smile before I looked back at Alice.

"Your mother said dinner should be ready soon."

"Thank God! I'm starving." Emmett said as he started making his way towards what I suppose would be the kitchen. "You all have a lovely home. It's huge."

"Well, thanks Bella. We'll take you on a tour after we eat, let's go." Rose said as she and Alice hooked one arm through my elbows and directed me towards the dinning room. Jasper, Carlisle, and Edward followed behind us.

I had a feeling tonight would be a lot of fun.

**A/N: You all need to thank TwiHardFanWendi for motivating me to continue this story. She made me get my head out of my ass and to whip up another chapter. Thanks!**

**Review please? If I get a lot of reviews, lets say five to ten, then I'll update in less than a week. What do you say?**

**Next chapter is dinner with the Cullens.**

**Love,**

**Kristi**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

BPOV

Leading me into the dinning room, I was escorted to a seat. Edward, Carlisle, and Emmett had just entered the room as I sat down. My eyes met with Edward's gaze as he started to walk towards me. Just as he pushed out the chair to sit next to me, Alice jumped out of no where and maneuvered her small frame into the chair.

"Alice!" Edward said as he tried to slide the chair out from under her body.

"Sorry big bro. I was here first. You were just to slow." Sticking her tongue out, Edward retreated to sit across from me.

"Sorry." I mouthed. He nodded his head sadly before turning to Emmett. They proceeded to talk about sports as the rest of the family took their seats. Alice and Rosalie were on either side of me with their husbands sitting directly across from them. Carlisle and Esme sat at the ends of the table.

"So, Bella. Where are you visiting from? Anywhere around here?" Esme asked as she tried to make conversation.

"I'm actually from New York." I said as I scooped food onto my plate.

"Oh, that's quite a ways away." Esme looked surprised as she passed the rolls to me.

"Yeah, I actually live in New York City. I came down here for a mini vacation. The city life isn't all that great after years of living there." I was about to continue before Alice interrupted.

"You mean you're telling me that you live in freaking New York City and you find it boring?! What is wrong with you! New York City is….is… it's freaking New York City!" I laughed as Alice pointed a spoonful of mashed potatoes at me.

"This is serious, Bella. What I would give to shop in New York! It's my dream to open up a clothing store there." Alice's eyes glazed over as she probably envisioned her future.

"It's definitely a great place. Don't get me wrong. It's just not everything it used to be." I tried to defend my reasoning. "Where are you guys from?"

"We all live in Washington State. We all grew up in a small town called Forks." Edward cut in to join our conversation.

"Oh, so I hope you don't mind me asking. Which of you guys are related?" I tried to laugh off my question to hide my embarrassment.

"Not at all! It can get quite confusing since we basically act like we're one big family. Alice, Edward, and Emmett are all siblings. Alice is 23, Edward's 25, and Emmett's 26. Jasper and I are fraternal twins. We're 24." Rosalie explained.

"Oh. So you guys married young? I'm sorry, that was rude of me." Smooth, Bella. Way to be polite to your hosts.

"Don't worry about it. Me and Jasper got married two years ago while Emmett and Rose married last February. Edward here hasn't found his soul mate…yet." Alice winked at her brother before turning to me. "So, how about you? Any loves in your life." She nudged me.

"Way to be subtle Alice." Edward rolled his eyes as he stabbed some green beans with his fork.

"Shut it Edward, you and I both know you were dying to ask." I looked confusedly between Alice and Edward as his cheeks flushed pink. He mumbled a response before Alice made a satisfied noise and turned to me.

"Not really. I just got out of a relationship." I said as I focused on my food.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that! That's probably the reason why you came here!" Alice said as she slapped her forehead.

"It's fine. The feeling was mutual. We are better off as friends." I laughed it off as I turned to Esme. "Your food is delicious by the way."

"Thank you. You're welcome here anytime." Carlisle, who I had forgotten was here, agreed.

"That reminds me, you need to go to the store tomorrow!" Alice put a finger on her chin before she broke out into a grin. "I know! Edward can take you." Immediately, I began to protest.

"There's no need to drive me there. Just give me directions and I'm sure I'll find a way." I snuck a glance at Edward who's face looked slightly fallen.

"I don't mind taking you. Honestly. I need to go to town anyways. My manager sent me my concert schedule over email today and I need to call him from town where I can actually get reception."

"Concert schedule?" My brows furrowed as I looked at Edward curiously.

"I'm a pianist. I play concerts here and there." He shrugged as if it was no big deal. I gasped.

"That's awesome, Edward! I wish I had musical talent."

"You must play for Bella sometime, Edward." Rosalie squealed as she clapped her hands.

"Maybe." Edward responded as he ran his hand through his bronze hair.

"Please, Edward?" I whispered as I looked up through my eye lashes. He whipped his head up to look at me. The stunned look on his face caused me to laugh. "I'm just kidding, you don't have to if you don't want to. But if you still wanted to take me to the store, I will be eternally indebted to you." The whole table laughed and Edward smiled at me.

"Of course. Just tell me the time."

"Wait, that means you'll need food for breakfast. How about you come over early tomorrow to eat here. That way, you guys can just go later." Rosalie said.

"I really don't want to impose on you guys."

"What kind of people would we be if we didn't help out our neighbors?" Edward said.

I smiled as the conversation easily flowed between us. At the end of dinner, I leaned back in my chair.

"Geez, Bella. You ate that food like you were eating for two! You almost ate as much as I did, and that's saying something." Emmett said as a loud booming noise escaped his mouth.

Blushing, I instantly hid behind my hair. The tears started to sting my eyes. The truth was, I would be eating for two right now. Even though Emmett had no way of knowing about the miscarriage, it still stung.

I heard a smacking noise and a harsh whisper from Rosalie.

"What the hell, Emmett."

Gathering my emotions, I stood up. "It's ok, I should probably get going now anyways. I'll see you tomorrow around ten?" I asked.

They nodded and showed me to the front door. We said our goodbyes and I all but ran back towards my cabin. Once I was in the safe confines of the house where no one could see me, I instantly changed into my pajamas and headed for my bed.

Curling up in the comfy sheets, the words played in my head over and over.

_Geez, Bella. You ate that food like you were eating for two_.

That night, I cried myself to sleep.

**A/N: So sorry for not updating sooner! It was a busy and depressing week. The words would just not come to me. **

**Show this story some love! It needs it. Reviews would be appreciated!**

**Love, **

**Kristi**


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own Twilight and sadly, I never will. All rights go to SM.**

**I dedicate this chapter to my lovely reviewers who give me strength to update. Thank you reviewers!**

BPOV

I woke up to the sound of…chirping. Very loud, very annoying, and very different from my usual wake up call. Normally, I would start my day by waking up to the honking of cars from the city life. But here I am, laying in bed with a pillow covering my face as I desperately tried to tune out the deafening sound of birds.

_Please, make it stop! I just want to go back to sleep! It's six in the morning for Pete's sake_! I screamed into the pillow before I jumped out of bed and ran towards the glass doors that led to the porch. Slipping on my flip flops, I slid open the door and stomped outside. Angered, I looked around for the source of the noise. My head turned in all directions but my attempts were unsuccessful. The birds were well hidden within the trees. How the birds managed to make so much noise was beyond me.

Grumbling, I walked inside and flopped back down on my bed. Closing my eyes, I tried to pull myself back into a dream induced sleep. Luck was not on my side. Finally, I gave up trying to sleep and began to start my day. I slipped on a bathrobe I had brought with me as I made my way towards the kitchen. Instinctively, I walked towards the coffee maker sitting on the counter. I reached for a cabinet and proceeded to find the coffee grounds. Searching high and low, I could not find them anywhere.

This was turning out to be a horrible morning. First the damn birds. Now I don't have my morning coffee to start my day.

Reasoning with myself, I made a mental note to put coffee grounds as the first item on my list of things to buy when I went shopping with Edward today.

Obviously, I had no food to eat in my cabin so I took a long warm shower to help me relax. The hot water instantly washed my agitation away as I succumbed to the heat of the water.

Stepping out of the shower, I twisted my hair into a towel and wrapped another cloth around my body. My feet squeaked as I walked towards my room. Zipping open my luggage, I debated on what to wear. I bit my bottom lip as I studied my option. I could either wear a dark blue shirt with shorts, or a grey tank. Deciding on the less revealing, I snatched the blue short sleeve shirt and shorts and headed back into the bathroom.

Once I was all ready, I sat at the kitchen table and turned on my laptop. Being out in the middle of nowhere only slowed down my already dead computer as it searched to find a signal. Eventually, I was able to open my email account. Two new messages appeared in my account. I clicked on the first one.

_Hello Honey! It's your mother. I just wanted to check up on you and to make sure you got down there safely. Please call me soon so I know you're alive. Things aren't the same without you here. If you get homesick, don't hesitate to jump on a plane and fly back to me. I'll be waiting for you to come back. _

_Love,_

_Your Mother._

_P.S. Phil says hello too._

I rolled my eyes at my mother's attempt to get me back home. To end her worrying, I decided to type a quick email back to her.

_Mother, please stop worrying about me. I'll be home before you know it. I got here safely and I'll probably call you later when I go into town and actually get reception. But until then, I need you to take deep breaths and relax. I love you,_

_Bella_

Sending the message, I went back to my mail and opened the other new message. It was from Angela.

_Hey Bella, it's your boss. Just checking in to make sure everything is okay down there. Call me or email me back when you have the chance. Everyone misses you up here. _

_--Angela_

I smiled at the sincerity of my friend.

_Hey Angela,_

_Thanks for checking up on me. Everything is great. The next door neighbors have taken me under their wings. Georgia is nice so far, thank you for pushing me to come down here. I owe you._

_--Bella_

Exiting out of my email, I shut off my laptop and checked the time. Nine. Only one more hour until I went over to their house.

------

Standing at the front door of their house, I couldn't bring myself to push the doorbell.

I really shouldn't be causing trouble for them. After all, they probably came her for a family vacation and I'm stopping them from enjoying it together. But if I don't find a store, I'll have nothing to eat for the next few weeks. Unless I go searching for the stores myself. But that could lead to me becoming lost. And I certainly do not know my way around this state. Maybe--

My thoughts were interrupted as the front door opened. I snapped my head up.

"Good morning Bella! I thought you would never knock so I took the liberty of opening it myself. Come on in." Alice hopped out of the way.

"Sorry, I was just thinking to myself." I apologized as I slid past her and into their house.

"We all get lost in our thoughts every once in a while. No big deal. Personally, I thought you were trying to think of a way to back out of this…arrangement." She looked at me curiously as the others came in to the room.

"Not a chance. You guys are my keys to survival for the next few weeks." I smiled. "Hello Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, Edward, Jasper, Rosalie."

Everyone responded as Esme came over to me and looped her arm through mine. "You must be starving. We made breakfast and coffee for you. I hope that's all right."

"That sounds perfect." Everyone followed us into the kitchen. As soon as I looked around me, I could have sworn my jaw had dropped. Every appliance in the room was stainless steel with granite counter tops. One wall was completely made out of glass that showed a view of the lake off in the distance. When my eyes landed on the coffee maker, I immediately departed from Esme's arms and ran over to my favorite household appliance. My arms wrapped around the metal as I breathed in the smell of coffee grounds. "Home sweet home." I sighed as I heard laughs from around me.

I turned to look at everyone staring at me. Blushing, I tried to explain myself. "I'm sorry, it's just that I haven't had decent coffee in almost two days. As you can see, I value my daily cup of coffee."

"Then you should fit into this family just fine. We know what it's like to go a day without that drink. It's hell." Rosalie said as she walked to a cupboard and pulled out a mug. "Help yourself." She said as she handed me the cup.

I did not hesitate.

In a matter of minutes, I had a plate full of eggs, ham, bacon, toast, and a steaming hot cup of coffee in front of me.

"This is all delicious. Thank you guys so much." I said in between bites. Edward, Alice, Rosalie, and Esme were the only people left in the room. The other men had wandered off.

"You should thank Edward. He made breakfast this morning." Esme said as she winked at Edward.

"Well thank you, Edward. I'm pretty sure you just saved me from starving to death." We all laughed as Edward leaned closer to me.

"Glad I could help." He grinned and I could have sworn my heart stopped beating. I looked away as the blood rose to my cheeks. Alice, Rosalie, and Esme must have snuck off because it was just Edward and I in the kitchen. I finished off my food before I hopped off the chair and brought my silverware over to the sink.

Edward didn't say anything as we cleared the table.

"So, when did you want to go into town." I said to get the conversation going.

"We should probably go after we finish this. It might take us a while to get there and I want to be back before we eat. You can stay for dinner if you'd like."

"I'll probably eat at my cabin this time." Edward's lips curled into a frown; my heart tightened at the thought of offending him. "But thanks for your offer. Next time, you guys will come over to my cabin and I will cook you something." I clarified. His face broke out into a grin as he wiped his hands and started to head for the door.

"I'll hold you to that."

"You should." We smiled at each other before he escorted me out of the house and towards a silver Volvo sitting in the driveway.

"Nice car, I assume it's yours?"

"You assume correctly. Come on, I'll take you into town." He opened my door for me as I slid into the car.

Leather interior, of course.

He slid into the driver's seat and pulled out of the steep driveway expertly.

His hand reached in my direction. My heart faltered, surely he wouldn't try to hold my hand?

But my question was answered as he turned on his CD player. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and listened to the music fill the car.

"Clair de Lune is great." I said, attempting conversation.

"You know Debussy?" He shot a sideway glance at me as his lips twitched into a small grin.

"Of course. When I lived with my mother, I practically grew up in the classical music era."

"And what did you listen to with your dad?" His words rang in the air as I sucked in a breath.

"My mom left my dad when I was little. She took me with her and I never heard from my dad since." Why was I telling him this? We just met yesterday and here I was spilling my secrets to this stranger. Was he a stranger? Maybe, maybe not. I couldn't ignore the feeling that there was a connection between us.

He sucked in a breath as he ran a hand through his bronze hair. "I'm sorry."

I shrugged and then I realized he wouldn't have seen the motion. "It's fine. I've spent my whole life without him and I turned out fine-- I think."

He suppressed a smile due to the seriousness of the conversation. "I think so too." We drove for a while as we listened to the music.

"Let's play a game." I said before I could take the words back.

"A game." He repeated.

"Yes, a game. What's wrong with games?"

"Nothing's wrong with them. You just took me by surprise. What game?"

"How about… 20 questions. We'll just go back and forth asking each other questions to get to know each other." I blushed at the last part.

Edward sat up straighter in his seat. "All right. Bring it on. I'm ready."

I laugh at his silliness. "Okay, favorite color?"

"Favorite color? Come on. That is an overused question that doesn't even matter."

"It matters to me." I pouted. "What is your favorite color?" He turned his head towards me and looked me in the eyes.

"Brown." He said before he focused his attention back to driving. I caught a glimpse of a slight blush on his cheeks that caused me to blush also.

"Hmmm, interesting."

"What's interesting?" He asked.

"Nothing, it's your turn. Ask me a question."

"I just did. What is so interesting Bella. And don't tell me nothing. Because if we are going to play this game, then we need to at least be honest so it doesn't become boring."

Sighing, I put my thoughts into words. "It's just, brown isn't exactly a color that would be associated as a favorite. Usually, it's blue,, orange, green, pink… do you understand what I'm saying? Or am I just babbling."

"A little bit of both. Just because brown isn't a very popular color doesn't mean it can't be a favorite color. However, I don't mind when you babble." He smiled at me causing me to blush once again. "You're turn."

We spent the rest of the drive asking each other questions. I didn't even notice when we arrived at the store until Edward shut off the engine.

"You go in first, I'll be right behind you. I have to call my manager first."

"Okay, see you in a few." I said as I got out of the car and walked into the store. I grabbed a cart and began to search my way through the isles as I grabbed anything I thought I needed."

EPOV

I sat in the car as I pulled out my phone and dialed Aro's number. My mind stayed on Bella as the phone rang.

"Hello Edward. How is your vacation going?" Aro asked.

"Quite well, Aro. Thank you for asking."

"Have you decided about the concerts?"

"I have. I guess I'll go on the tour. Just promise me that these will be the only big concerts I will have to play. After this, I want to go back to playing behind the scenes. You know how I hate the attention."

"But Edward, this could make you famous! With the music you play, you won't be able to go back to being a nobody. People will love you. You'll be huge!"

"Aro, I don't care. You know I value your opinion above all others but trust me on this one. After this tour, I want to go back to playing at small places. I don't care if I'll have to create a fake name, I only want to play for fun. You should be lucky I agreed to the tour in the first place." I reasoned.

"You win, you win. I was only thinking the best for you, Edward. Now, I'll send you the details of the tour dates over email."

"Thank you, Aro. You're a good manager."

"It's what I aim to be. Bye, Edward."

"Bye." I said as I hung up. I sat in silence as I thought about what I just agreed to. A tour. Running my hands through my hair, I took in a deep breath before I went to find Bella.

BPOV

"Geez, did you buy the whole store?" A voice behind me said as the box of macaroni I was looking at dropped out of my hands. I whirled around with my hand over my heart as I saw Edward laughing hysterically.

"Shit! You scared the hell out of me." I smacked him playfully. I tried to form a smile but I was still in shock. "Don't you know not to sneak up behind someone? You almost gave me a heart attack."

"I'm sorry. It's just… do you need this much food?" He gestured to my cart almost filled up with all different types of food.

"Of course I do. After all, if I'm going to cook for your family, I need to buy a lot of food. Especially for Emmett. Have you seen how much he eats?" I gave Edward a smile as he nodded in agreement.

"I suppose so. Do you need another cart?" He asked.

"Definitely. Can you go get me one?" I batted my eyelashes as I pointed over towards the carts.

"I was just kidding, Bella."

"I'm not." He shook his head before he went to go grab another cart. We continued to shop for food until we were finally done.

I pushed my cart towards the cash out register as Edward tailed behind me. I began to put my food onto the counter so they could ring the items up. "Just place the food behind mine." I said as I turned towards him.

However, Edward wasn't there.

"Edward?" My voice rose in panic.

"Right here. I'm checking out in the next lane over." His head appeared over the rows of candy.

"But that's my food."

"Your point is." His head disappeared behind the candy.

"My point is that I need to pay for my food." I said impatiently.

"I'll cover this cart since you bought so much." He answered back.

"Edward, let me pay for my food, I have the money." I peered over the candy towards him. He was just about to swipe his card.

"Edward, drop that credit card this minute." I said in the sternest voice I could muster.

He looked up innocently at me. "All right." He swiped the card through and quickly signed his name. Fuming, I quickly paid for my food as well and started to push the cart towards his car.

"Wait, Bella!"

I continued to walk until I reached the silver Volvo.

"Just unlock the car, Edward." He did as I said and I popped open the trunk. I grabbed the flimsy bags and practically threw the items into the car. I left the trunk open so he could put the other food in. I returned the cart and walked past Edward without a word. He quickly put his food I into the trunk as well and returned the cart. I opened the passenger door and climbed in with Edward right behind me. He sat in the front seat with the keys in his hands.

"We are not going anywhere until you forgive me."

"Edward, just start the car."

"Not until you forgive me. I know it was wrong for me to pay for your food, although most people wouldn't mind saving the money. But I only did it because I was taught to be a gentleman. So you can blame my mother for my action."

I tried to hold back the smile that threatened to take over my face.

"Fine, I forgive you. But next time, I'm paying. You can count on that."

"Good. You ready to go home?"

"Definitely."

**A/N: Long chapter. I hope it was worth the wait. **

**It was my birthday yesterday and reviews would be a great present. Please review.**

**Love,**

**Kristi**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm not dead, I swear! I know it has been a while. I'm sorry. I have never been that busy before in my whole life. **

**I do no own Twilight. SM does.**

The next week flew by in a blur. Everyday, I would go over to the Cullens house, or they came to mine. With each passing moment, we grew closer together. Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett had become the siblings I never had. And Carlisle and Esme were like second parents to me. As for Edward, I couldn't even begin to describe what I was feeling.

As for today, I decided to take a personal day so I could catch up on my work. The thought of not seeing Edward brought me into a slight depression but that was quickly replaced by a determination to get my work done. After all, the sooner I finished, the sooner I could go back to relaxing.

The thought of returning to my vacation gave me more than enough motivation to finish my work.

----

I typed for what seemed like hours until I finally finished up my last article. Leaning back in my chair, I arched my back as I stretched my arms.

My eyes searched around the room until they landed on the clock. Five o' clock. The Cullens were probably eating dinner already. Sighing, I went in search of my own food to eat.

As I walked past the glass door, my eyes were immediately attracted to the sky. I watched in fascination as dark clouds rolled in at an unnaturally fast speed. I found my hand reaching for the handle as I pulled the door open. My feet moved automatically as I made my way down the hill towards the boat dock.

Being the forgetful person I am, I forgot to get a jacket and shoes since I was wearing my pajamas. I was already at the dock when I remembered this and the sky had me in such a trance that I didn't bother to go back up. In the city, I usually ran for some kind of shelter at any sign of a storm coming. But here, where there were no sky scrapers or city life to intrude nature, I would be a first hand witness to the storm.

The first drops of rain fell from the sky as they kissed the Earth's surface. My eyes closed as I let the rain prick my skin.

I had always loved the rain. As a kid, I would curl up by the window and watch as the rain cleansed the Earth.

However, those perfect moments don't last forever. Just as I closed my eyes, a clap of thunder pierced the air. My body stiffened as I tried to tell my feet to move. Even though I loved rain, I was terrified of thunder and lightning.

I tried to run but the thought that I could be killed by lightning stopped me from moving. Instead, I just stood there motionlessly as silent tears escaped my eyes.

Oh God, please don't let me die out here!

But I knew my life had to end sometime. What difference would it make if I just left the Earth a little bit early? Surely I wouldn't be missed by many. My mom might be heart broken but she had Phil now. He would take care of her. Some of my close friends might also. But once again, they would all move on. Even the Cullens wouldn't be devastated. They had only known me for a week. And yet, in that short week, I have experienced so much more happiness than I ever had in my life.

I learned what it was like to be apart of a real family. And that alone was more than I ever could have asked for.

Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe I would be considered crazy for thinking I would die from a silly storm. But how would I know? Even if I lived, the best part of my life would come to an end. I had to leave in the near future. So did they. We would eventually go our separate ways and only have the memories to keep with us. This thought caused more pain than the thought of dying. How would I be able to go back to New York after I had grown so close to the Cullens. Especially Edward. In a way incomprehensible to me, we instantly had a connection from the moment we met.

How would I live without them?

Could I even live without them?

I didn't even have to hesitate to know the answer.

Over the course of a short week, the Cullens had weaved their way into my life in a permanent fashion.

A desperate yell broke me from my trance.

"What the hell are you doing!"

I forced my eyes open as I turned to the voice. A bright light appeared in the sky and the sound of a tree cracking caused my heart to falter. The last thing I heard before I succumbed to darkness was the silent pleads of my angel's voice.

As I look back on that night, I suppose I could have ran back into the house in the very beginning of the storm. But I think I was punishing myself. Somewhere, deep in the back of my mind, I was blaming myself for being unable to carry a child. I was convinced that I had killed my baby and that I should suffer the consequences. And even if I realized I could have ran inside, I still wouldn't change my actions. Because the events that resulted in that night shaped my future.

**A/N: There's a little foreshadowing at the end. It may be a confusing chapter, and I may rewrite it later on. But for now, it's something to read even though it's short. Sorry about the late update. Another update will be soon! Hopefully this weekend. **

**Reviews= love. **

**--Kristi **

**P.S. I did fast forward the vacation by a little but I think I'll write those chapters later on at the end so we can get the story moving.**


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you to my lovely reviewer, TwiHardFanWendi. I had a wonderful birthday, thank you for asking! : ) 

**EPOV**

"**You know, if you keep staring at that phone, you're going to burn a hole right through it." I looked up at Emmett who was playing Wii with Jasper. Rosalie gave a small smile then met my eyes and sighed. Walking over towards Emmett, she smacked him playfully on the head. "Ouch, babe. I was just kidding. But, really. He's been standing there all day."**

"**Whatever, Emmett. We all know he has a crush on Bella. Can you blame him if he wants to see the girl he likes?" Alice said as she strutted into the room.**

"**Alice, I do not like her. I'm just worried." I could feel the blood rising into my cheeks. It was not a crush. Was it?**

"**Sure, Edward. By the end of this vacation, you two will practically be in love." Her voice had a ring of finality.**

"**That's impossible." I said.**

"**Oh, you poor innocent man. Haven't you learned never to bet against me?" She raised an eyebrow in my direction before turning to Emmett. "I did come in here for a reason. A storm is on it's way and mom and dad wanted you two to shut off the video games."**

"**No! I'm winning this game!" Emmett said as he brought the wii controller back and flicked his wrist.**

"**Dads orders. I'm afraid it's going off." Alice walked towards the TV and shut off the power. "Must I always do things for you, Emmett?" She said as she put one hand on her hip.**

"**No, but it would be nice." Emmett's comment earned him another smack from Rosalie. **

"**What smart remark did Emmett make this time?" Esme said as she came in with Carlisle holding onto her waist.**

"**Emmett's being Emmett. Big shocker there." Rose said as she leaned against the window frame. "It looks like it is going to be a pretty bad storm. The clouds are rolling in fairly quickly." **

"**Good, Georgia needs the rain after the last drought we had." Carlisle, always the realistic one, said. **

"**I hope Bella will be okay in this storm. I would be frightened if I was alone in that cabin during a storm." Just as the words left Esme's mouth, a shower of water fell from the sky as the noise of the rain hitting the windows filled the silence. My concerns mirrored Esme's.**

"**Don't worry Esme, I'm sure she will be fine. It's just raining. At least it's not thundering or lightning. She just needed a day to catch up on her work." Jasper spoke as he placed a comforting hand on Esme's shoulder. **

**A few seconds later, a loud clap of thunder caused us to jump in surprise.**

"**Let me rephrase. It's not lightning." Jasper said as everyone let out a small laugh. He could ease a tense atmosphere in a second.**

"**I still think we should check on her just in case." Esme whispered as she shook her head back and forth. **

"**I agree with Esme. I have a weird feeling in my stomach. Something is not right." **

"**Maybe it's a stomachache, Alice." Emmett said in a 'duh' tone.**

**I laughed earning a glare from Alice.**

"**It is not a stomachache you idiot. I'm going to check on Bella whether you guys believe me or not. Anyone coming?" She said as she grabbed an umbrella and a raincoat from the closet. **

"**I am." I said as I followed her lead and grabbed a coat and boots."**

"**I thought so." Alice said as she opened the door. **

**It was pouring out as we carefully made our way to Bella's house. **

**Just as I was about to knock on Bella's door, Alice's voice stopped me.**

"**Oh my God." She said as she looked intently towards the lake.**

"**What is it Alice?" I tried to see what made her gasp but the rain was blocking me from getting a good view.**

"**Is that…Bella?" **

"**Where?" I pleaded.**

"**Down by the lake. Shit! She's just standing there. We have to get to her!" Alice said as she pulled me away from the door and toward the pathway to get down to the dock. We carefully made our way down until I was finally able to see Bella's form. I sprinted past Alice and ran as quickly as I could.**

"**What the hell are you doing!" I yelled in a desperate voice as I tried to get her attention. Her head snapped towards me and her eyelids shot up as she looked at me in surprise. **

**Two things happened at once:**

**Lightning struck across the sky followed by the sound of a tree branch cracking.**

**And Bella's petite form collapsed to the ground.**

**Alice's cry shot through the air as she watched her friend fall.**

**When I reached her, I quickly dropped to the ground and examined her to make sure she wasn't hurt.**

"**Bella? Bella, stay with me! Please? You have to stay awake." **

**She let out a small groan as her head rolled to the side.**

**Alice had just arrived as she yelled orders. "Take off your jacket and wrap it around her. You're going to have to carry her. I'll be behind you so you don't slip when you're going up the hill. Let's bring her to our house so Carlisle can check her! Quickly!"**

**I did as I was told and shrugged out of my jacket. I cautiously picked up Bella's form and wrapped my coat around her shoulders as Alice even took off her jacket and wrapped it around Bella's legs. Together, we climbed up the steep hill.**

**I whispered sweet nothings into Bella's ear as I silently prayed to God hoping she would be okay.**

**As we walked up our driveway, Alice went ahead and opened the door for me as I brought Bella inside.**

"**Carlisle, Esme, we need your help! Quickly." The whole family entered the room in alarm. Esme put a hand to her heart and quickly made her way over to Bella. Putting a hand on my angels forehead, she pulled it back in surprise.**

"**She's freezing! How long has she been out there? Rose, make a pile of blankets in front of the fireplace and turn it on. When she's done with that, Edward, place Bella on the pile." **

"**I'm going to get my medical kit. Try to get her warm." Carlisle said as he approved of his wife's advice.**

**After a few hectic moments, Bella was in front of the fireplace. Now all we had to do was wait.**

**A/N: Review? I'll give you a cookie monster cupcake.**

**--Kristi**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight except for a few posters and the books.

EPOV

After a few minutes, a groan escaped from Bella's lips. The whole family breathed a sigh of relief.

Bringing a hand to the back of her head, she waited until her eyes adjusted to the bright light.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" I asked.

"Ugh." Bella's body shook with unsteadiness as she tried to get into a sitting position. Alice's arms shot out to help her. I felt helpless as I saw Bella's pale form tremble.

"We'll take that as a not good. I think you should stay laying down." Alice cautioned as the rest of us agreed.

"What happened this time?" She asked; a blush was already forming on her cheeks. My eyes locked with her brown orbs. We both smiled at each other before Alice began to tell the story.

"Edward and I went to go check up on you because we were worried about you being alone in this crappy weather. We found you near the dock just standing there and we tried to get down to where you were. But then lightning struck and it hit a branch, causing it to fall. And then…you fainted. Did you realize that you were in the middle of a storm?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Alice said as her voice rose towards the end.

"Alice." Carlisle warned. A heavy silence filled the air. Looking at Bella, something glistened on her cheek. Her eyes met mine for a second before she turned her head away and lifted her hand to her face.

"Sorry, we were just worried about you." Alice said before getting up and walking towards Jasper. His arms circled around her waist before he placed a light kiss at the base of her neck.

BPOV

My mind was whirling. Unintentionally, I had intruded on the Cullens family and caused them unnecessary stress. I felt a tear slowly make its way down my cheek.

I managed to give Alice a small smile. "I'm not trying to get myself killed, Alice. Don't be ridiculous." _Lying will get you no where, Bella. Deep inside, you know the truth. You wanted to die out there. To end your life looked like an easier alternative to bearing the pain of your loss for the rest of your years. _"When I was a child, storms were not my best friend. I especially hated the lightening. So, I guess I just panicked."

_Lies. Nothing more than lies._

"As long as your okay. You gave us all a fright. Edward over here thought you were dead." She leaned forward as if to tell me a secret. In a whisper, she said, "Had tears in his eyes and everything. It was tragic, really. He looked so weak. But I handled it and told him to grow some balls. We all know you are a stubborn fighter, Bella."

The whole family laughed and I looked at Edward. His cheeks were colored pink but I knew he wouldn't let Alice have the final word.

"You're full of bull shit. It's not like she was on the brink of dying. And for your information, I actually have a fine pair of balls right here, Alice. However, I'd rather not show you."

"Yeah, because that would be disgusting." Alice said as she stuck her finger in her mouth and pretended to gag.

"Actually--" Edward was interrupted by Esme.

"Children, that is quite enough. We would all appreciate it if you kept your childish come backs to yourselves." She playfully hit each one on the head.

"Mom! Watch the hair!" Alice shrieked.

"Oh honey, I miss those days when you couldn't talk." Esme smiled towards her youngest child before deliberately messing up Alice's hair.

"Oh no you didn't." Alice said as her small form began to shake.

"And that's why mom liked me best." Edward said triumphantly.

"Don't be cocky, Edward. I never choose favorites. It's not fair."

"Then why did you mess up my hair and not Edwards?" Alice muttered.

Jasper laughed and kissed his wife. "If it makes you feel better, you look adorable when your upset. And the disarrayed hair adds a sense of bad ass to your overall look. It's quite…sexy."

"And we are ending this conversation as of right now. I think Emmett and I agree that we can not allow our baby sister to be called sexy. She's too innocent for that." Emmett nodded his head and grabbed Jasper's shoulder.

"I agree, it's creepy."

That brought on another round of laughter. I was relieved that the attention was brought off of me and onto a lighter subject.

I stood up and an involuntary yawn escaped my lips.

"Looks like someone's tired. Did you get all of your work done?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes, I did. I was proud of myself. It's been an extremely long day, I should probably head back to my cabin." I said as I started to walk to the front door.

"Like hell you are going back. The storm is still in progress." Edward grabbed my arm and turned me around so that I was facing him.

"I think what Edward is trying to say is that you are welcome to sleep here until the storm passes. We have plenty of rooms in which you could stay." Rose offered.

I was taken aback by their generosity.

"You guys have done so much for me already. I don't want to impose."

"How many times must we insist that we truly do not mind. You're like family to us, Bella." Esme's kind words sent me over the edge.

"Thank you, for everything. Your family has been so kind to me." The tears gathered at the corner of my eyes and after a few moments, they spilled over. "I can't believe I'm crying. I'm sorry you guys have to see me like this. I'm a mess."

"Nothing a little sleep can't fix. Alice and Rose, can you get Bella a pair of pajamas and show her to Edwards room. Unfortunately, the spare guest rooms are under construction."

"Esme loves to redecorate her homes. We have a few houses all over the country that she has been working on." Rose added before grabbing my arm pushing my toward the stairs.

"I really don't mind sleeping on the couch."

"Bella, do me a favor, and just go with the flow." Alice laughed as her tiny feet scrambled up the stairs and disappeared into a room. We followed after her as the rest of the family began to disperse. Edward hesitated before following Rose and me. I heard a drawer open as clothes started flying out her door.

"Is she okay?" I asked Rose.

"She's probably just looking for the perfect set of pj's that would go good with your skin tone. She insists that even while wearing sleep wear, you should stay glamorous."

"A pair of sweatpants and a large shirt would have been fine." I grumbled.

"What did you say, Bella?" The damn pixie had heard me. And she looked furious.

"That I love you and you're gorgeous?" I stammered. She raised her eyebrow at me before throwing me the clothes.

"That's what I thought. I figured that I'd never get you to wear silk, even though its like the magical fabric that feels amazing. Anyways, I decided to slowly bring you into the world of fashion."

"I don't know if I should be grateful or offended for hating on my style." I dramatically put a hand to my chest and took a step back, successfully running into Edwards muscular body. I gasped and began to apologize.

"It's fine, Bella. I'll show you the bathroom and take you to my room." His warm hand wrapped its way around my wrist as he lead me down the hall. We stopped in front of a door and he turned around. His face was so close to mine that I had to stop a gasp from leaving my mouth.

Our eyes looked and his bronze hair fell forward, slightly covering his eyes. Reaching up, I pushed his hair back. His hair had been taunting me since day one. He never styled it causing his strands of hair to stick out at all the right angles. My breathing hitched as he leaned forward slightly. His lips parted and for a brief second, I could have sworn his lips had touched mine.

"By the way, Bella. I want to see how you look in that so I can use it for future reference." Alice's voice caused us to jump away from each other instantly. The silence that followed was almost unbearable, but neither Edward or I made any attempt at looking away from each other.

"Thanks for letting me use your room." I blurted, trying to fill the silence.

His green eyes locked with mine once again; a crooked smile forming on his lips.

"It's no problem at all, Bella. Our family would do anything for you."

"I know that. How can I repay such kindness?" Bella was thoroughly confused on this question. This family, who she had only known for about a week, was willing to interrupt their vacation time in order to spend it with her. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world. But there had to be something she could do in order to thank them all properly.

"Hmmm. I think your presence alone is the best repayment."

She sighed and decided to leave it, knowing that she would get no real response.

Noticing that they had been standing in front of the bathroom door for a few minutes now, Edward opened the door for her. "Here's the bathroom. There should be an extra toothbrush in that cabinet above the sink. Meet me in my room when you're done." He pointed to his door then walked away.

She shut the bathroom door behind him and leaned against it for support. What had just happened? She would have to think about it later. After all, she couldn't keep Alice waiting forever and her legs were so close to giving up on her. She quickly shimmied out of her clothes and slipped on the white cotton tee that had a peace sign on it. Just below it, in bold dark blue letters, it said "& Quiet." She laughed at the saying and proceeded to slip on a matching pair of blue shorts.

She was thankful she had shaved this morning and she gave a satisfied sigh after examining herself in the body length mirror.

After brushing her teeth, she slipped out the door and called to Alice.

"I just knew that blue was your color. I'm a genius." Alice clapped her hands and then paused for a moment before widening her eyes as if she had an epiphany. "Just think about how great you will look in a skirt! Not a denim one though, that would not do you justice. Maybe a dark blue that puffed out a little bit. And then just a plan white shirt." She held up her hand as if she were debating. "Maybe we will tuck the white shirt in the skirt so it looks like a dress kind of thing. That's the new style, these days."

"I thought I heard Alice chattering away." Edward appeared at his doorway before walking over to me and grabbing my arm. "Bella is extremely tires, as you know, Alice. So how about you tell her all about your new idea later when she has had enough rest."

Alice looked as if she was about to protest but then decided not too. "Fine. Night, Bella. Don't let the bed bugs bite… or Edward." She winked at us before walking back into her room.

I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. "Did she just imply…that we were going to …"

"Ignore Alice and her crazy mind." Edward said, clearly irritated with his sister. "Let's get you to bed."

I nodded and followed him back to his room. To say I was shocked was an understatement. His walls were painted a clean white, not one of those off colored cream shit. And every piece of furniture was black. It was a balance between the two colors. It was _classy_. He had a bookshelf that was filled with random books and CD's. A futon sat in the very corner of his room where a red duvet was draped over it, showing the only sign of an actual color. Somehow, it fitted Edwards style.

"This is my room." He said as he slid his hands into his pocket and rocked back onto his heels.

"I like it. It suits you. Very simple. Very _you."_

"You think? Esme kept offering to redecorate but I like it the way it is."

"Me too." We smiled at each other having another one of those slightly intimate moments.

"We'll be downstairs if you need anything. Just holler." He said before before shutting the door behind him.

"Thanks." I whispered to him, although I knew he couldn't hear me. I made my way over to his bed suddenly feeling drained of all my energy. I collapsed into the sheets and breathed in. His sheets smelled like him. I was in heaven. I cuddled into the sheets and it wasn't long until sleep consumed my whole body.

"_Edward, come quick! The baby's kicking!" My heart swelled with pride as I looked down at my growing stomach._

_Edward had stopped making breakfast and rushed over to his wife's side. He gently placed his hand over her swollen belly and kept it there for a few minutes. His watched as Bella interacted with their baby._

"_Only a little bit longer, sweetie. Then you'll be able to see the world. Oh! I just can't wait to hold him…or her. Which one do you think it will be?" Bella began to chew her bottom lip, a habit she had when she was lost in her thoughts or became nervous._

"_I'm happy with either one. But you know men, they always want a little boy."_

"_That is true. Hmmm. What if it is a girl?" Her eyes searched Edwards and he sighed._

"_Bella, as long as I'm with you, I don't care what gender it is. I'll love it endlessly. Now stop worrying and go take a quick nap in the living room. I'll bring your breakfast in soon." _

"_You surprise me every day. How did I snag such a handsome man?"_

" _I could ask the same thing about you. I love you, now go rest."_

"_Love you too." I stood up carefully and kissed Edwards cheek before heading into the living room. I laid down on the couch and began to drift off. _

As I opened my eyes, I looked towards my stomach, expecting to see a swollen belly. I panicked when I was met with a flat stomach. Panicking, I began scratching my stomach and clothes trying to find the baby bump I could of sworn I had.

Alice POV

"Alice, why don't you go check up on Bella. Tell her that breakfast will be made soon. Poor girl, she must have been exhausted. She slept almost twelve hours.

I nodded and began to skip to Edwards room. As I neared, I heard a feminine voice mumbling and what sounded like crying. I ran into Edwards room and looked around frantically.

"Bella! Are you okay?" Her body was hunched over as she continued to sob. I shut the door hoping not to alarm the others and went to sit next to her. Cradling her to my chest, I rubbed soothing circles onto her back. Handing her tissues off of the table, she waited for the tears to end. Eventually, she calmed down enough so that she could talk.

"Thanks, Alice."

BPOV

"No problem. Do you want to talk about it?" Alice asked, curious as to what made her friend break down like this.

"I think I need to tell someone, so if you don't mind me telling you. You're the only one who can know. I guess you could tell Rose but definitely not the guys."

"I promise. Now tell me all about it."

"Well…it started when I was dating this guy named Jake. Things were pretty serious between us, we moved in together and everything…"

I told Alice everything. The miscarriage, how things weren't working out with him towards the end, the reason why I came here. She shed a few tears throughout my story but I continued on. There was only one thing I left out, and that was what happened today. I wasn't ready to explain what happened in the storm and she didn't connect the dots as far as I could tell.

At the end of it, she told me to go take a shower and get cleaned up. She would leave me clothes outside the door.

I could only nod my head and obey her orders. I could trust her not to tell.

APOV

Walking downstairs, I was shocked. I felt horrible that she had to go through a miscarriage.

"Bella's taking a shower, she'll be down in a few." I said, caught up in my own little world.

Spotting Edward I walked over to him. "You better be careful with her, Edward. She's been through quite a lot. I wouldn't want to see either of you two getting hurt."

**A/N: Well, damn. Longest chapter I have ever written, I think. It's now almost four in the morning and I haven't had any sleep. And I have to wake up at 6:30 since I'm going skiing! Leave me some reviews so I know that my effort was not for nothing? Please…**

**A few things…**

**Sorry for the wait, life got in the way. **

**Midterms are next week so things will be hectic. The more reviews I get, the sooner I update, lets say…next Saturday at the earliest? **

**Reviews are appreciated.**

**Thank you for those who reviewed the last chapter and the authors note, I appreciate you all.**

**--Kristi**

**P.S. grammatical errors will be fixed another day. I just thought that you guys deserved the update. Besides, I'm exhausted.**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. SM does.

**Author's note at the end is VERY important. Read to find out how you can get deleted scenes ;)**

BPOV

Over the next two weeks, Alice had kept my secret. Well, mostly. She had told Rose since they were so close to each other. I didn't mind. I was just relieved that they weren't treating me any different.

Currently, it was about eight at night. I told the Cullen's that I was taking another work day to catch up on some articles. However, in reality, I was putting a scrapbook together that held the fondest moments of my vacation. The idea came to me a few days ago when I was laying in bed. I was trying to think of a way to repay them for all their kindness and this was the only way I could think of to truly show them how grateful I was.

The next day, I told Edward I had to go to the store to pick up some things. He, being the intelligent man he is, noticed that I was not running low on food and couldn't possibly see what I needed to buy. So, to shut him up, I told him tampons. Needless to say, he had backed off. I bought the book and printed multiple photos, half were of Edward and I(where we were completely unaware of the camera). That could only mean one person: _Alice. _To this very minute, I have successfully hid my creation from their sight.

As I glued yet another picture into the pages, my phone began to ring.

"Fuck." I pushed all the scraps around trying to search for my hidden phone. At last, I found it and whipped it open, hoping not to miss the call.

"Hello?" I muttered. I searched for a pen and scribbled a date along with a caption underneath the photo.

"Bella! Where the hell have you been?" The pen dropped out of my hands and I held the phone tightly against my ear.

"Mom?"

"Of course it's your mother! I have been so worried about you. You only called once and that was more than three weeks ago!"

"Don't even give me that crap. I have been emailing you every two days and you know it."

"You write two sentences per email. It's the same thing every time: 'I'm fine. I've been busy.' What exactly have you been doing this past month?"

"I met some people. We've been hanging out ever since. And before you freak out, I've been sending all of my writing to my boss so it's not like I'm slacking down here."

"Well, I think it's time you come home." I immediately grew angry.

"I really don't think that's up to you." I said through gritted teeth.

"I am your mother and you are getting on the next plane heading towards home. It's been almost a month and it's time to come back. You have a responsibility to your job, and your family."

"But my family is here." I countered.

"Bella." Her tone held a warning that if I continued to argue, she would personally take it upon herself to drag my ass back to New York.

I sighed, knowing that she was right. She always was. "Fine, I'll come back. Give me a few more days."

"Good. You have two days. I already booked your flight to leave August 2nd. Your flight leaves around noon, I'll pick you up at the airport. I can't wait to see you! Bye honey." She hung up before I could fully grasp what she was saying.

Of course. She would have already booked my flight. She knew exactly how this phone call was going to go. Mothers.

I chucked my phone at the couch before letting out a scream of frustration. How was I supposed to tell the others?

----

That night, I finished the photo album and closed it with a sigh. Each picture was different from the other; each one printed into my memory.

I slid the album into my bag and headed to the bedroom where I drifted into sleep. I knew tomorrow would be one hell of a day.

---

It was already one in the afternoon when I made it to their house. The bag was in my hand as I tried to put on a smile. On the inside, I was crushed. Today would be the last full day with them. A wave of depression passed through me. How could I live without them? They were my second family. And although it had been only a month, I had fallen in love. Not just with Georgia, for I knew I would be visiting soon. But also with Edward. I had taken this vacation in order to escape the grief of the miscarriage and Edward, unbeknownst to him, had the ability to take away the pain whenever he was near. And here I was. Standing on the porch of their mansion, probably for the last time. I took everything knowing that I would tell them right away so that we could spend more time together. But first, there was something I needed to do.

A door clicking snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Hey Bella! Come on in. The family's in the living room." Alice said as she tried to reach for my bag. "What's in there?" She cocked her head to the side as she tried to peek.

"Be patient, Alice. You will see shortly. I need to talk to you and Rose first." My voice had cracked towards then end and I tried to smile to let her know I was okay. But I couldn't and I wasn't.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes…" _Real convincing, Bella. _I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "No. I'm not. And you two need to hear this before I tell the others." I tried to make myself look strong when on the inside I was crumbling.

"Okay…um. I-I'll go get Rose. Meet us upstairs, I'll think of a cover story as to why we suddenly disappeared." Worry was etched in her tone as she debated on leaving me alone.

"Thank you." I debated stopping there. However, my mouth had other plans. "For everything." I ran up the stairs before I could see the confusion flash in her eyes. I securely held onto the bag as I waited for them to join me. At this moment, the book I had made was all I had. It was my memories, my reminders. Of who I was, and how one family had given me the one thing, one feeling, that I never truly held: the feeling of being wanted.

I tapped my foot against the floor as I heard a shuffling of feet down the hall before they stopped in front of the door.

"Bella? It's me and Alice. Is it okay to come in?" Rose's voice was a whisper and you could tell she was distressed.

I nodded my head before slapping my head and letting out a quiet 'yes.' The opened the door and immediately came to sit down next to me.

"What's the matter, sweetie? Did something happen since yesterday?" A comforting hand was placed on my back as Rose rubbed small circles.

"I-I-" The words were on the tip of my tongue yet I struggled to get them out.

"You know you can tell us anything. We won't be mad, I promise." _But you will. I've seen the possible outcomes of this situation and if there is one thing I know for sure, it is that this will not end well._

"I'm leaving." The words rushed out me and just as predicated, a silence filled the room. I could feel the water gathering in my eyes.

"When?"

"Tomorrow." A sudden pain ripped through my chest as each passing moment made the thought of my departure that much more real. I clutched in vain to get my heart under control.

"Bella!" The two girls shouted at the same time before getting me to come back to them.

"Honey, are you okay?" Alice looked as though she was about to run and get Carlisle any second.

"I'm fine. I just… I don't want to leave. You guys are my family. I don't think I could stand losing you guys too." _Three. Two. One._ The tears had spilled over and I slid to the ground as I held my head in my hands. Alice and Rose mimicked me as they cradled me in a comfort hug.

"Why do you have to leave? If you don't want to, then you shouldn't have to." Alice said and Rosalie agreed.

I sighed. _If only it were that easy._ "My mother called me two nights ago. When I came here, I never expected to get so attached. I thought I would just stay to myself and think everything through. But you guys came along and I knew I would eventually have to go. But each day, we grew closer and here we are. But I had promised my mom I would only stay a month and then return straight home and focus on my job instead of wallowing. She informed me that she had already booked my flight and that I was heading home whether I liked it or not."

"Surely she can't force you to go home?"

"I'm afraid she can and she did. And deep down, whether I refuse to acknowledge it or not, I know she's right. I have my work to get back to."

"We're going to miss you. So, so much. Carlisle and Esme will be devastated. They look at you as their own child. Even Emmett and Jasper will hurt. And of course, me and Rose."

"You know I'll miss you too. There won't be a second that goes by that I won't think of all of you. There's just one thing that I'm scared about." I bit my lip in a desperate attempt to calm myself.

"What is it?" Both of them had sat up straighter and waited patiently for me to continue.

"How do I tell the rest of them. Especially Edward. I don't want him to hate me."

"That's a tricky one. But I know for a fact that Edward will not hate you. I can see you two like each other but deep down, we all knew you wouldn't be staying for long. Even our family has to leave some time. We just like to spend the longest time possible down here before we get sucked up in the real world once again. As for the family, you should probably tell them tonight at dinner. We'll celebrate your time here until you'll have to leave."

"That's a good idea. I don't know what I would do without you two." I brought my arms around them and gathered them into a hug.

"Your like a sister to us. We don't have a lot of close friends back where we come from, we usually keep to ourselves. But you've easily brought a new sense of life to this family and we can't thank you enough for coming into our lives. And we will definitely be keeping in touch. You can't get rid of us just by leaving, you can count on that." Alice sniffled at the end of her rant as we all laughed and cried hysterically at the same time.

"Oh! Before I forget." I twisted my body so that I could peer over the top of the bed. I quickly spotted the bag I had brought and brought it to my lap. I gently took out the scrapbook and traced the title. The brown background looked worn and faded as four words were written elegantly in a gold font. _Once Upon A Time…_

Two audible gasps could be heard on either side of me and I smiled to myself in appreciation. I handed the book to them. "Look at it after I've left."

"Bella! You shouldn't have! Just the cover looks fantastic." Tears were brimming in all of our eyes once again and I hugged them.

"I have you guys to thank. You have all been so nice to me. _Thank you_. We should head downstairs. I don't want your family thinking I kidnapped you guys." We stood on shaky legs as we tried to make ourselves look more presentable.

"Let's go." I said as we made our way downstairs.

----

"Bella, dear, there you are! We were just about to go check on you." Esme said as she came to give me a hug.

"Oh, I'm fine. I was just asking Alice and Rose a favor." I forced my lips to curve upwards although it probably looked more like a grimace than a smile.

I felt someone standing behind me I cautiously turned. There stood Edward in all of his glory. "Bella, how are you today."

I felt a stab in my heart. "I'm lovely. And yourself?" My eyes searched his green emeralds as he smiled my favorite crooked smile.

Flashing his white teeth, he said, "Better now that you're here. I actually wanted to steal you away for a moment or two if that's okay with the rest of the family?" He looked around and everyone except Rose and Alice practically shooed us away. He led me down a hall and entered a room I hadn't seen before. The room itself was huge and the walls were lined with benches. A Grand piano was placed in the center of the room.

Leading me towards the piano bench, he held my hand in his as we sat down.

"I was thinking and I believe that I owe you a mini concert." His green eyes flashed to mine and my heart melted. But I couldn't shrug off the feeling that something was going to go bad.

"I believe you do. What are you going to play?" I leaned forward and examined the title's of the innumerably papers. He pushed some aside and pointed to a sheet that caused my jaw to pop open. The name? _Bella's Lullaby._

He didn't make a piece just for me, did he? "I don't believe I have heard this song before." I muttered.

He chuckled. "Bella, I composed it for you."

"But--why?" I sputtered.

"You inspire me." That was all he said until he faced the keys and began to play. He played like a professional and immediately I was entranced into the melody being played. My eyes closed on their own accord and I became immersed in his playing.

_He wrote it for me._ I sighed before realizing that the piece had come to an end.

"I haven't figured out the ending yet. But I guess it will come to me in time. What did you think?" His eyes anxiously looked in mine and I wanted to cry and laugh from the mixed emotions I was feeling.

"It was beautiful. I love it. You're a wonderful pianist."

We gazed into each others eyes as our heads pulled towards each other. I hadn't realized what was happening until I was kissing him. The taste of his lips on mine sparked a new emotion in me. Lust. I tangled my hands into his messy locks and pulled him closer. He responded with a moan.

And then I realized what exactly was happening. I was leaving tomorrow and he was making it very difficult for me to go. I immediately pulled back and put space between us.

"Edward, this won't work." I ran my fingers through my hair as he stared at me with a confused and hurt look.

"I'm sorry. I kind of sprang on you. We should take it slower." He replied.

"That's not what I meant. I meant this-" I pointed to him and me. "- won't work."

His eyes filled with anger. "And why not. Since when were you the only making these types of decisions." His voice was accusing.

"Edward, trust me. If this was a different situation. A different life. Then I would give it all I had to make this work. But this is reality, and it won't."

"Why not?" He gritted out between his teeth. His hands had balled into fists and he pushed himself away from the piano.

_I was hoping we could avoid the 'why.'_ "I-I just know."

"Dammit Bella! What kind of an excuse is that?! If you don't want to be with me then just say it. Say something, because I don't know about you, but I think we definitely could be _something._ I may not know what we could be but at least I'm willing to give it a try. While _you. You_ aren't even trying to make an effort." He pinched the bridge of his nose as he paced back and forth. "What I'm trying to say is that I like you Bella. More than I should but I can't help the way I feel. Before you came, I had always been fine with being single. I thought it was easier that way. But then, when I was with you, you made me feel, you made me whole. And every time you went back to your cabin, the feeling of loneliness would appear and it was like I was _dying._"

"I feel the same way about you but this can't work out between us! I just-- ugh! I'm so frustrated. I would do anything to make this work but the truth is, we barely know each other."

"Bullshit. Over the past month, I have gotten to see the real you. I know who _you_ are. And you know who _I_ am. So what is the real reason why this won't work?" He demanded.

I rubbed my forehead and sat down on a bench using the wall as a support for my back.

"I'm leaving." I mumbled.

"I'm sorry. What? I don't think I heard you correctly."

"I'm leaving. Tomorrow to be exact. I'm sorry." My face crumpled as I saw his eyes flash with pain. But he instantly covered it up as he put on a blank mask. I couldn't stand the silence.

"Edward, say _something_."

"Well, I guess we both knew one of us would be leaving sooner or later. I guess I'm just surprised because I thought we were friends. Friends who told each other when they were going to leave. Or were you not even going to say goodbye? You thought you could just up and leave and go on to live your life. You probably won't even remember us."

His words were like a knife to the heart. I wrapped my arms around my legs as I curled myself into a ball. Tears were pouring down my cheeks.

"Edward, you know I could never forget--"

"Save the lies, Bella. I think you should leave. I can't deal with this right now." He turned his back on me and I debated whether or not I should comfort him. I decided against it and practically ran out the door and tried to find Alice and Rose.

I probably looked mad as tears were streaming down my face and my hair was in every direction. I slowed down my pace to a jog as I entered the living room. The Cullen's were all sitting down and looked at me in shock.

**A/N: You guys didn't think this story would be all fluff did you? : )**

**I'm evil but I can admit it. This author's note is EXTREMELY important for several reasons. So bear with me, a hundred more words won't hurt.**

**First, have any of you noticed how I don't update on a regular schedule? Raise your hand. (Raises her own hand and hides her shameful eyes from view.) Well guess what? For those of you who review, I'll send you a deleted scene. Can you guess where the scenes will come from? The scrap book! But your review can't just be, "give me the damn excerpt." Let's be a little more creative, I know you can do it! So, leave a review and a REGISTERED name so that I can send you the mini story in a PM. Keep an eye out on your inbox.**

**The first picture: A chiseled looking Emmett, holding a certain brunette above his head as he threatens to throw her in. And don't forget the bronze haired God who doesn't look to happy in the background. Are you curious as to what goes down in the lake? I know I am. **

**By the way, I won't be home every second of the day so if you review, give me a day, two at tops, to send you the little excerpt. This will continue for many chapters to come. So while you're waiting for me to update again, indulge yourself in fluff. **

**Next, I'm thinking about changing the story name. Ideas would be appreciated. Review to show some love. And I'll give you some love back. **

**Until next time my lovely readers,**

**Kristi**


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

_Previously:_

"_Well, I guess we both knew one of us would be leaving sooner or later. I guess I'm just surprised because I thought we were friends. Friends who told each other when they were going to leave. Or were you not even going to say goodbye? You thought you could just up and leave and go on to live your life. You probably won't even remember us." _

_His words were like a knife to the heart. I wrapped my arms around my legs as I curled myself into a ball. Tears were pouring down my cheeks._

"_Edward, you know I could never forget--"_

"_Save the lies, Bella. I think you should leave. I can't deal with this right now." He turned his back on me and I debated whether or not I should comfort him. I decided against it and practically ran out the door and tried to find Alice and Rose. _

_I probably looked like a madwoman as tears were streaming down my face and my hair was in every direction. I slowed down my pace to a jog as I entered the living room. The Cullen's were sitting down and looked at me in shock._

BPOV

I tried to secretly brush my tears away. I knew they could tell I was crying but I could try to mask the pain, right?

"Everything okay, Bella?" Rose asked before wiggling out of Emmett's grasp and heading over towards me. Alice followed and before I knew it, I was in their arms.

"He hates me." I couldn't hold in my emotions any longer. My body shook with silent sobs as I struggled to at least keep myself in control.

"Who hates you? Edward? I'll kick his ass if he hurt you!" Emmett stood up in an instant and began cracking his knuckles. I tried to give him a smile, but I'm pretty sure it was more of a grimace.

"Edward didn't hurt me, Emmett… I hurt him." I whispered the last part.

"Do you want me to make some tea and we can talk about it?" Esme asked as she started to head towards the kitchen.

I didn't deserve their hospitality. I needed to get out of here. Immediately, a plan began to form in my head.

"I actually have to go." I broke away from Alice and Rose. "But thanks for offering."

"Oh, well you just come over if you need anything." Esme looked slightly disappointed.

My heart broke in two. Little did they know that this would most likely be the last time I would see them.

I nodded my head and headed towards the door. With a shaking hand, I reached for the door knob. I paused and turned to look at the people who had become my second family.

"Thanks. For everything." My eyes landed on Alice and Rose and I gave them a small smile.

"We'll see you tomorrow, right?" Alice's voice broke the silence. A tug at my heart notified me that I needed to get out of there soon.

I didn't answer. Instead, I opened the door and stepped into the afternoon sunlight.

I didn't waste any time. When I arrived at my cabin, I began throwing everything that I owned into my suitcases.

One way or another, I was going to leave tonight.

-----

APOV

"Thanks. For everything." The way she said those words made me want to cry. It was as if she was saying goodbye.

"We'll see you tomorrow, right?" I was afraid of her answer. I wanted her to say, "of course!" But instead, I was met with silence. A pain in my chest began to form as I watched my best friend walk out the door and out of my life.

"She'll be back, right?"

"Of course." Rose replied; there was doubt in her voice. "We should go get Edward to tell us what happened. God knows he can jump to conclusions." And for the moment, we pushed away the thoughts of Bella never coming back and went to go help our brother.

EPOV

"_I'm leaving." _Like a broken record, her words were repeated over and over again.

I don't know how long I laid on my bed. Probably only fifteen minutes. I enjoyed the silence; I welcomed it. But I knew it wouldn't last. As expected, I heard muffled voices coming from outside my hall. It sounded like they were silently debating before one of them spoke up.

"It's Alice and Rose, can we come in?"

"I'm busy. Leave me alone." I mumbled. Apparently, they hadn't heard me because the next thing I knew a door was opening and Alice and Rose sat at the edge of my bed.

"I hardly consider staring at the ceiling as being busy." Rose scoffed.

"Well maybe I just wanted to be alone."

"Well maybe we want to know what the hell happened. Bella practically ran out of the house in tears." Alice retorted.

I remained silent.

"We're assuming she told you about her leaving." Alice said quietly. That got my attention. I quickly sat up.

"You knew? And you're not mad at her? After what she was going to do, how can you not hate her?" I fired off the questions.

"Yes, we knew. What the hell do you mean by 'you're not mad at her.' It's not her fault her mother is forcing her to go back to New York." Rose crosses her arms in front of her as she glared at me.

"Wait, what? Her mother. Didn't Bella-- wasn't she just going to up and leave? She's leaving tomorrow and didn't even tell us until today!"

"Her mother called yesterday. She tried to buy more time but her mother's words were final. She had no say in when she was able to leave. She wanted to tell you but she didn't know how. That's why she asked to talk to us first. I'm not sure the others know yet. I doubt." Alice explained.

Shit. Once again, Edward fucking Cullen jumped to conclusions and didn't bother thinking with his brain.

My brain was trying to comprehend what I just heard.

Bella was trying to tell me that there was nothing she could do, but I was a stupid ass who tried to turn the situation on her.

"I have to go see her." My mind was in overdrive. Frantically, I jumped off the bed and ran out the door and down the stairs where my family looked at me like I was crazy. I would deal with them later. Right now, I had to get to Bella.

I cut through the woods hoping it would be a short cut. In record time, I was standing on her porch banging on the door.

_Please, Bella, open the door. I'm so sorry. _

I stood there for a few more seconds before going around her house and looking into the living room window. Everything was in it's place. Bella's laptop wasn't on the coffee table, her favorite book, Wuthering Heights, wasn't left on the couch. There was no sign that she had been here.

I was too late.

I staggered back to her porch and let my body slide down the side of her house. I buried my head in my hands and choked back a sob.

I could hear footsteps approaching to my right. "Go away, Alice. She left; I want to be left alone."

But the footsteps only grew louder and soon a hand touched my shoulder.

My head snapped up. "I said I want--" My heart stopped pounding as I looked into the brown orbs I thought I would never see again. "Bella?"

"I'm here, Edward. I didn't leave yet." Without thinking, I brought her into a bone crushing hug. Tears escaped the corners of my eyes as I rocked us back and forth. She was here. She hadn't left yet. There was still hope for me to fix this.

"I thought you had left. I panicked; there's so much I have to say." I breathed in her scent of freesias and strawberries; it was intoxicating.

"I was just about to leave. I was going to go to the airport and trade in my ticket for an earlier flight. I couldn't stay here knowing you hated me. I couldn't handle it."

"I couldn't possibly hate you. I'm sorry, Bella. You have no idea how sorry I am. I thought that you had planned leaving long before; I didn't know about the phone call with your mother. I'm--" A finger to my lips broke me from my rambling as I looked into the eyes of the woman I loved.

"Edward, stop apologizing."

"Bella, I told you to leave. I falsely accused you of something out of your control! Please, forgive me." I whispered. I guided her chin up so that I could look into her eyes.

"I-I forgive you." Her words caused my heart to rejoice.

I didn't deserve her. I was aware of that. But at that moment, I didn't care. I only knew one thing: I was in love with her. I had fallen in love in only a short month. And I had fallen hard.

I crashed my lips to hers. I tried to memorize the taste of her lips and how our lips moved in synchronization. All too soon, our kiss had ended and she pulled away.

"Edward, I still have to leave tomorrow."

"And there's nothing to make you stay?" My lips trailed her jaw line.

"Edward…" She sighed. "You know I would do anything to just stay here, but I have to go back."

"I know. Can't blame me for trying. It's not everyday I meet a beautiful, mesmerizing woman like you."

"You don't have to lie, Edward. I'm not beautiful. You're the one who dazzles me on a regular basis."

"I dazzle you?" A smile was tugging at my lips and it took all my restraint to keep me from taking her right then and there.

"Frequently." The blush that I had come to love filled her cheeks.

"Well, I hate to break it to you Love, but you don't see yourself clearly. You're absolutely stunning." I captured her lips again and at that moment, I knew everything was going to be okay. We would make it through this.

"I wish we could just stay like this forever." Her head rested on my shoulder and I hugged her closer to my body.

"So do I." I murmured before we fell into a comfortable silence.

"I want you to know something, Bella…"

**A/N: Review if you want to know what Edward has to tell Bella! And you'll also get another mini episode called **_**A Day At The Island.**_** Just remember to review under a registered name. But anonymous reviews are also welcomed.**

**If you didn't receive a mini story for the last chapter, let me know and I'll try to resend it in a PM because I know for a FACT that I sent everyone who reviewed a mini excerpt. **

**One more thing, this story will be changing names to A Home Away From Home because I do not feel that the present title fits the story. So be on the lookout for a title change. **

**Thanks for your cooperation and patience. Please review.**

**Love, **

**Kristi**


	12. Chapter 12

BPOV

"I wish we could just stay like this forever." _It would definitely be easier_, I thought.

"So do I." I let myself melt into the side of his body as we sat in a comfortable silence.

"I want you to know something, Bella. This past month has been a dream come true. By some miracle, you came into my life and I can't let you go. I want there to be an 'us.' I want you to be my girlfriend."

His words caught me off guard and I let them sink in.

"Edward, I would love there to be an 'us.' I truly do." I hesitated and he took over.

"I realize that your going back to New York. And I am committed to the tour. But Bella, I'm willing to wait. I want to be with you. Once my tour is over, I can move up to New York. Whatever it takes." By now, I was on the verge of crying. He was willing to wait for me.

"I can't ask you to move for me, Edward. I want to be with you too but I can't take you away from your family. You need them more than you need me."

"You're wrong. I need you more. Bella, you are my future. Can you please give me a chance to prove that to you?" His eyes bore into mine. I could only nod my head in response.

"Edward, I have tried to picture my life without you, and I can't. I need you too. And I'm willing to wait for you also."

"So it's settled. After my tour, I'll come find you and then…" He trailed off.

"And then what?" I urged, trying to figure out how he would end that sentence.

"And then you'll allow me to date you?"

"There is nothing that I would like more than that." My voice was a whisper but he managed to hear me. "Well… maybe there is one thing."

"Tell me what it is and I'll do my best to give it to you. Anything for you, Love." His words were so sincere; it caused my heart to soar.

"Kiss me?" I asked shyly.

"Only if you promise not to leave tonight." He replied without hesitation.

"Never."

"Then you don't even have to ask." His lips crashed to mine as we poured all of our feelings towards each other into that one kiss. And all to soon, it ended.

"I think we should head back to the cabin. I'm sure my family would like an explanation."

"Knowing Alice, she already filled them in. All my stuff is in my car already and the cabin is all locked up. So if you don't mind, I'll stay over at your place tonight so we can spend more time together. Is that okay?" I was now standing above Edward as I held out my hand to help him off the ground.

"It's perfect. Let's go."

And with one last look at the cabin that I had considered my home, I left with Edward.

----

"Oh thank God you're still here, Bella! For a while there, I thought you were going to leave without saying goodbye!" Alice yelled as she flung her petite body into me.

"I'm not going to lie, Alice. I was just about to leave before I saw Edward." I said.

"As long as you're still here, that's all that matters." Esme said as she pushed Alice out of my arms and gave me a hug. "You're apart of this family and we understand the situation you are in. I'm just glad we had the opportunity to meet you."

"You guys are going to make me cry." A feeble laugh escaped my lips before my sniffling took over.

"Aw, come on now. We still have a good half a day before Bella has to leave. Let's make the most of it." Carlisle replied while turning to Edward. "I'm glad you were able to get everything fixed between the two of you."

"Me too. And now I'm never going to let her go." His crooked smile took over his features as he walked behind me and folded me into his side.

"Get a room, lovebirds." Emmett joked as he punched Edward on the shoulder.

"Does this mean you guys are dating?" Rosalie couldn't contain the excitement in her voice.

"Not officially. But we agreed to give what we have a shot after he finishes his tour." I replied. Alice and Rose squealed in delight and I could tell by the mischievous glint in Alice's eye that she was already planning a wedding.

"You guys are wise to wait. It would be unfortunate to see the bond that you two share go to waste." Esme observed as she leaned into Carlisle.

"It's about time you two realized your feelings. I had to practically hold Alice back from meddling into your love lives. She was driving me insane." Jasper chuckled as he grabbed his wife.

"I resent that. You are no longer allowed to touch me if I drive you 'insane.'" She quoted. She tried to wriggle her body free from Jasper's grasp but he showed no intention of letting go.

"You only drove me insane with lust. I just wished you would pay more attention to me rather than your matchmaking skills." Jasper was trying to win back Alice's love and from the look of adoration on Alice's face, her will was bending.

"Well, I guess we just have to fix this with a compromise. I promise to hold off on my matchmaking and focus solely on you to make sure you get all the love you need." She winked at him before leaning into a kiss.

"Ugh, what is with all the love today? Seriously people, everyone just go get a damn room!" Emmett complained.

"Emmett, you're just jealous your wife isn't showing you any love." Edward said as he nuzzled his head into my neck.

"I'll have you know I get plenty of love. We just like to show it in the late hours of the night." He wiggled his eyebrows but Rose put him in his place by glaring at him. "Love you, Rosie." He added.

"I'm sure you do. But that last comment just cost you. No love for you tonight."

Emmett was about to whine but Esme stepped in. "Come on, children. Stop bickering. Now, who wants to help make dinner?"

---

It was now nine in the morning, and it was time to say goodbye. I was going to the airport by myself because I knew that if any of the Cullens came, I wouldn't be able to hold myself together.

"We're going to miss you, Bella. You call us everyday and keep us updated." Esme said as she wiped away the tears in her eyes.

"Only if you promise to do the same." I whispered as I gave her a hug. "I consider you guys my second family and I can't thank you enough for all that your family has provided." Stepping back, I moved onto Carlisle who held a few tears in his eyes as well.

"I think we should be thanking you. After all, you brought my family closer together." Carlisle replied.

Next was Emmett.

"I'm gonna miss you, big brother." I sniffled.

"I'll miss you too, Bells. You take care of yourself in that big city. I don't want you getting yourself killed by accidentally tripping over a piece of dust and falling in front of a taxi." He chuckled halfheartedly.

"You have a way with words, Emmett." I laughed as I hugged him and Jasper at the same time.

"I'm positive this won't be the last time we'll be seeing you." Jasper said defiantly.

"I'll tell you a secret Jasper: you can't get rid of me." I beamed as he shook his head while trying to suppress a laugh.

"My turn!" Alice said as she grasped my shoulders and pulled me to her in a bone crushing hug. "Now, I want you calling me as soon as you arrive and if you ever have questions on fashion, I'm just a phone call away. You're my sister and I'm going to miss you so much!" Tears ran down her cheeks as she pulled me away from her body.

"Alice, your makeup is going to get ruined."

"Water proof mascara. Women should always be prepared." She replied. Wiping my eyes for the millionth time, I knew I had to wrap things up.

"Rose, I'm counting on you to keep the boys in check."

"Only if you promise to talk to me too when you call Alice."

"Of course. Now give me a hug." I demanded as I half-laughed, half-cried.

Now, there was only one person left.

"Edward, I'm going to miss you like crazy." Was all I could manage.

"Bella, I have no idea how I'm going to be able to live without you near me. Don't forget, I'll come for you once my tour is done. And I'll be emailing you everyday."

"I'll be waiting." He pulled me into a hug and I breathed in his smell. I didn't know when I'd see him again.

Pulling away, I looked at my second family.

"This isn't a final goodbye, Bella. We'll be seeing you soon." Alice said as she held my car door open.

"Bye everyone." I shouted and entered the car. A chorus of 'goodbye's' came from the family in return.

I pulled out of the driveway and made my way back to New York.

EPOV

Bella had left an hour ago. And since that hour, I had not once moved from the couch.

"Edward, Bella wanted us to open this after she left. But I think you should look at it first." Rose said as she handed over what looked like a photo album.

I took it and placed it on my lap.

"I'll leave you alone to look at it. I'll be down by the lake if you want me."

"Thanks, Rose." I said as I played with the edge of the cover. The photo album was a brown color with gold flecks. The title was written in gold glitter and spelled out _Once Upon A Time_.

I sucked in a breath and flipped it open. I was met with a picture of Bella and me dancing underneath the moonlight down near the lake. My heart clenched at the memory. On the opposite side of the picture, there was a letter written by Bella.

_Dear Cullen family,_

_This past month has been a fairytale._

_You guys took me in with open arms and I can't even begin to describe how lucky I was to meet you. _

_You gave me one thing I never truly had: a family._

_And because of that, I am forever grateful._

_I'll never forget this vacation-_

_You guys mean the world to me._

_I wish you each the best and I can only hope we meet again._

_Lots of love,_

_Bella Swan_

I knew one thing was for sure: living without Bella for the next few months was going to be hell.

---

**A/N: What did you guys think? Edward didn't tell Bella he loved her, but that doesn't mean he doesn't. He's a very shy person. **

**I think I deserve reviews since you guys didn't have to wait too long for this. Please? **

**Next mini story: Dance With Me. The story behind the first picture of the scrapbook.**

**If you want a previous mini story that you missed, go back and review that chapter and I'll send you one.**

**Previous mini stories…**

**Chapter 11: Say You Love Me**

**Chapter 12: A Day At the Island (Part One)**

**Thanks for the reviews and alerts!**

**Love, **

**Kristi**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **

**I've been holding onto this chapter for a while now. (This is actually the first part of what I had written... the second is not completed, yet.) I decided that I couldn't keep you guys waiting any longer so here is the short, but important, chapter. **

**Reviews are love. **

**Shout out to hippiehappy for putting up with my complaining. It took a lot of thought to put this chapter together. I love her to death for listening to me go on and on about the endless possibilities for this story.**

**Last thing: what better inspiration for this story than being in Georgia at the lake?**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. SM does.**_

_**BPOV**_

**August 27****th**

_Edward,_

_I made it back to New York without any trouble- that means you can stop worrying about me. It's funny, I don't really feel like I'm home. I guess Georgia made me see that New York no longer holds anything for me. Maybe it's because you're not here. I know, it sounds pathetic. But I really do miss you and I can't wait to see you again. Anyways, tell the rest of the family that I said hello and I'll be in touch with you guys soon. Now go enjoy the rest of your stay before you have to leave! _

_Love, _

_Bella_

**August 29****th**

Going back to work wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. In reality, I was so excited to see Angela and to tell her all about Georgia, so I went in a day before I was needed.

I walked up to her office and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

I twisted the knob and pushed the door open. "I'm sorry to intrude, Angela, but I just wanted to make sure you received my emails." I said, trying to hold back my smile.

Angela's head whipped up; her eyes widening in surprise. "Bella!" Her voice was close to screaming but she quickly recovered, resuming her professional manner. She stood up and all but ran as she tackled me into a hug.

"How was the trip? I really missed my favorite worker." She said, taking a step away from me and looking me over. "You seem different."

"That's because I changed. I met someone." My eyes locked onto the floor and I could feel the blush spreading over my cheeks.

"Let's go to lunch and you can tell me all about this someone." Angela said, grabbing her purse from her chair. I nodded in agreement.

A hour later, Angela had heard every detail. Once she heard it was Edward, she wasn't really surprised. She had met the Cullens a few times when she was down there.

"What about Jake?" Her question caught me off guard.

"With Jake, it's complicated. I really want to be friends with him but I just don't know how to do that without it being awkward."

Angela took a sip of her water; her eyes trained on the empty plate in front of her.

After a few moments, she began to speak. "I think that if you really want to be friends with him again, then you should ask him out to lunch as a start. Things are going to be awkward at first but that's a given. You probably shouldn't tell him about Edward, at least not for a while."

Nodding, I processed the advice. "Honestly, I don't even know what's going to happen between me and Edward; we're waiting until after his tour to decide anything. But, at this point, I'd go anywhere with him to give what we have a shot. And you know for a fact that I would never usually do that."

"Do you love him?"

Ah, the question of the year. Could you love someone in only a month?

"Yeah, I do." I said softly.

"Bella, I'll do anything I can to make this easier for you. I want to see you happy. If it comes down to you moving away from here, I'll do my best to pull a few strings and help you find a new job."

"Angela, I can't ask you to do that." I protested.

"Nonsense. Now, let's get back to work. And call Jake. I'm sure he wants to know that you made it back safely."

"I will. Thanks, Angela. For everything."

-Same Day-

"_This is Jake. I'm unavailable at the moment but I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Leave a message."_

"Hey Jake, it's Bella. I was wondering if you wanted to meet up for lunch sometime this week? Call me back when you have the chance. I miss you."

**August 30****th**

_Bella,_

_The whole family is glad to hear that you made it back safe and sound. As for Georgia, it will always be your home. Think of it as your home away from home. Clever, right? I miss you, too. The whole family does. But I'm determined to see you as soon as possible. In fact, I got the details of my tour. It's only three months- mid September to December. Maybe you could come to one of the concerts; I think we might be heading to New York sometime. _

_We head back to Washington tomorrow. Jasper teaches at the high school so he had to leave with Alice yesterday and get his work sorted out. I don't know how he can put up with some of those kids. _

_Alice and Rose are dying to talk to you so you should probably call them before they go out of their minds. _

_I'll talk to you soon, _

_Edward_

**September 1****st**

"Bella! How are you? Long time, no talk." Alice's voice squealed through the phone.

"I saw you less than a week ago, Alice."

"So? I still miss you. Even Rose does. Right, Rose?"

In the distance, I could hear Rosalie mumble a 'sure.'

"Don't mind her. They just got back yesterday and she claims to have jet lag. Whatever, no one is buying it Rosalie!"

"Alice, be nice. I'm sure Rose just doesn't want to go back to work."

"Oh please, she loves her job more than she loves us. I swear, the cars they restore are like their children. They barely ever leave the shop!" Alice's voice rose higher, her laughter mixing in with the words.

"Well when your husband works with you, why would you need to go home?" I countered.

"Touché, Bella. Well played."

"I try. Anyways, so you guys are all back now?"

"Yeah, it's a shame. Jasper already had to go in for work so it's just me and Rose hanging out in my apartment."

"Where's Edward and Emmett?"

"At the gym. Emmett had to drag Edward out of his place. He really misses you, Bella."

"Well he shouldn't. He should be excited for his tour and there is no doubt in my mind that I will be having a talk with him later."

"Whatever you say, Bella." Her laughter filling the silence.

"I have to go, but I'll talk to you guys soon."

"We miss you! Call anytime."

"I will." That was a promise.

So here I am, balancing my work and my social life. I'm doing the best I can to keep in touch with the Cullens and every now and then I meet up with Jake.

I just hope that the best I can do is enough to keep them both in my life.

**AN: Do you totally hate me for it being so short? Next chapter is guaranteed more action. I just needed to have time move along in some way.**

**Review please.**


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